


Becoming parents

by ambreuk



Category: British Royalty RPF
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-18
Updated: 2017-02-22
Packaged: 2018-03-02 02:17:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 90,632
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2796050
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ambreuk/pseuds/ambreuk
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>William and Kate prepare for the birth of their first child.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Kate was shivering. She was wrapped in a warm blanket, but it didn’t help. From a distant, she saw William and Charles trying to make a fire in the fire pit. They would roast the meat on it, once the fire was hot enough. She had offered to help, she would do anything to keep herself busy and warm, but William had declined.

‘’This is a men’s job, honey. You go sit and relax.’’

So she did. Except she could not relax, it was too cold. They were on holiday in Balmoral. It was April already, so that meant no warm evenings in the north. The sun was already beginning to set, which made it even colder. Longingly, Kate thought back to her holiday with William a couple weeks ago, when they went to the Seychelles again. It was the second time they visited there, the first time being their honeymoon. The holiday this year was just as magical as the last one.

‘’Hey.’’

Kate woke from her thoughts and opened her eyes. William stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her and her blanket.

‘’You must be cold, you are shivering.’’ He held her tight.

‘’No, I’m okay. You go and help your Dad with your big men’s dinner.’’

‘’He can do a few minutes without me.’’

Kate turned her head so she could look at Charles instead of William. Her father in law looked like he had no idea what he was doing. ‘’No, he can’t. You should help him. I’ll be fine.’’

William pressed a kiss to Kate’s head. ‘’You really are a stubborn one, you know that? I am serious, Katie, go inside, warm up. I’ll bring you dinner once we are done here.’’

‘’And when will that be? Sometime tomorrow evening?’’ Kate winked.

‘’Alright, if you want to play it this way, you should make your own dinner.’’ William started to walk away.

‘’No, no wait!’’ Kate yelled after him. ‘’I’ll love some dinner. I’ll be in the living room.’’ She gave William her sweetest smile, which she knew he couldn’t resist. She was right.

William sighed. ‘’Alright, then. Now, go! I don’t want you to get a cold or something.’’ He watched Kate go until she was in the castle and made his way back to Charles. His father was waving at him, asking him for help.

William had been right, it was a lot warmer inside. Kate figured preparing dinner would take a while, so she decided to have a long hot shower first and then cuddle up on the couch. She wasn’t feeling very well today. She was very tired and not in the mood for any outdoors activities. Kate thought she must get her period very soon. She stepped into the shower and put the thought out of her head. It reappeared very quickly, as she was lying on the couch. She couldn’t focus on her book, but kept thinking about how she was feeling. She and William hadn’t deliberately tried for a baby – not yet, at least – but there was always a chance it could happen accidentally. Kate couldn’t think about anything else. All the signs were there: she was tired, listless and not in her regular mood. She usually loved being at Balmoral, despite the cold and damp. She would accompany William on shooting trips and stroll around the country. It didn’t matter if it was a chilly day, she would put on a sweater. But today she was feeling the opposite, wanting nothing more than to be inside the house and not do anything but relaxing. Would there be a pregnancy test in the house? She didn’t think so, that would be strange. But, on the other hand, her assistants always made sure they had everything they could possibly need. In their bathroom closet was a whole supply of medications neither of them would ever need. Maybe one of them had the wit of mind to buy some tests as well?

‘’Kate! Dinner is ready!’’ William came in, holding two plates in his hands. ‘’We’ll be eating inside here with you.’’ He put the plates down on the table and seated himself. ‘’You coming?’’

Kate answered something, being absent-mindedly.

‘’What’s the matter? Are you okay?’’ William already stood up again, immediately worried. He’d noted as well Kate hadn’t been herself today.

‘’I’m fine. It’s just –‘’ She hesitated. Should she tell him of her suspicions yet? No, he would most likely freak out, when she announced news like this so unexpectedly. It would be better to take a pregnancy test first and then she would inform him.

‘’What?’’

‘’Nothing, I fell asleep, reading on the couch, and you woke me up. I’m still a bit drowsy. That’s all.’’ Kate smiled at him and sat down next to Charles. ‘’Looks good, Charles!’’

‘’I hope it tastes the same,’’ Charles joked. ‘’I’m not an expert on cooking outdoors.’’

‘’Well, William isn’t a first class chef either, I hope I don’t end up with food poisoning tonight.’’

William looked upset, but came around when Kate took a bite. ‘’This is really good! Have you taken up secret cooking lessons?’’

Both men laughed. William patted her knee. ‘’Glad you like it. We worked really hard on this meal.’’ He gave Kate a serious look.

She smiled at him. ‘’Well, since you apparently can cook a nice meal, maybe you should try it at home too, sometimes.’’

‘’Deal.’’

Kate looked up from her plate in amazement. ‘’Really, you mean that? Because my comment was just a joke.’’

‘’I could use a challenge,’’ William said.

‘’Well, I guess I won’t come over for dinner anymore, if Will is cooking,’’ Charles said.

‘’Dad! You are supposed to have faith in me!’’

‘’Well, you were supposed to cook the veggies, but they aren’t warm at all.’’ Charles pointed at his plate in front of him.

William looked sad. ‘”Really? Kate said it tasted good.’’

‘’Actually, I was talking about the meat,’’ Kate said, not able to hide her smile. ‘’But I guess that was Charles’s doing?’’

He nodded at her. ‘’William was in charge of the vegetables.’’

‘’Well, maybe it’s not a good idea, you trying cooking at home.’’ Kate joked.

‘’No, I want to learn!’’ William said in defense. ‘’I am a grown man and I want to be able to cook a decent meal. Could you teach me?’’

‘’Of course,’’ Kate answered. ‘’Your first lesson is tomorrow.’’

‘’Tomorrow? But we’re on holidays.’’

Kate looked like she couldn’t believe William was actually saying this. ‘’Do you want to learn or not?’’ she asked him.

‘’I do, but, like I said, we – ‘’

‘’Then your first lesson is tomorrow,’’ Kate interrupted him.

‘’Wow, your teacher is really strict,’’ Charles commented. He looked at the two of them with a smile on his face. ‘’You have to put your foot down, Kate, I’ll see him talk himself out of this.’’

‘’Point taken,’’ she answered him.

‘’I think the vegetables are pretty eatable,’’ William said to nobody in particular.

Kate and Charles looked at each other and then burst out laughing. 

————-

When dinner was over, Kate decided she wanted to go outside for an evening walk around the grounds.

‘’Are you sure?’’ William asked her. ‘’You’ve been tired and cold all day.’’

‘’I know, I just want to get some fresh air today. I’ll make sure I wear warm clothes. It is already dark out, so we have to bring a torch. That is kind of exciting, don’t you think?’’

William smiled. ‘’Deep inside you are just a little girl, who gets excited by the prospect of an adventure, aren’t you?’’ He kissed her and went to find them torches.

Kate watched him go and then made her way upstairs to their bedroom. She opened the closet and tried to decide what to wear, when she suddenly felt dizzy. At first, she ignored the feeling and continued to take clothes out of the closet. She could certainly use gloves and a scarf. When she turned around to put these items on the bed, the dizziness became worse. She let herself sank down on the mattress and put her head between her knees, thus allowing the blood to flow back to her head. She didn’t even look up when she heard William calling from the hallway.

”Kate! I found us some torches. You coming?’’

She didn’t have the strength to answer him. In fact, she didn’t even move. It didn’t take long to hear William’s footsteps on the stairs. When he saw Kate in her uncomfortable position, he was by her side in couple of seconds.

‘’Honey, what happened?’’

Kate didn’t reply. She felt the urge to vomit.

William softly rubbed her back. ‘’Here, let me take care of you.’’ He took the gloves and scarf she was still holding from her hands. He placed them on the bed and then crouched down before Kate. Sitting on his knees, he spoke again. ‘’Did you pass out?’’

Kate shook her head. For a short moment, she lifted her head in order to look at William. She could see the worry all over his face.

‘’My god, you look pale. We are definitely not going outside tonight.’’ William placed a hand on Kate’s left knee and squeezed it lightly.

Kate protested. The urge to throw up had lessened finally, so she tried to speak again.

‘’No,’’ was all she managed to bring out.

‘’What do you mean, no?’’ William said. ‘’Have you seen yourself? Not to be offensive, but you look like crap.’’

Kate smiled weakly. ‘’I really think some fresh air would to me good. I’ll hold on to your arm. I’m not sick or anything. I can walk.’’

‘’Kate, you have to listen to me.’’ William spoke serious now. ‘’All day you haven’t been feeling well. It is nothing like you to go inside to warm up. You love the outdoors, you love being at Balmoral. So do you really think this plan is a sensible one?’’

Kate shrugged. ‘’I know I am not feeling a hundred percent, but we are leaving in a couple of days. The weather most likely will be colder and colder. I want to enjoy it while it is not to cold.’’

‘’But, Kate, -‘’ William kept trying to talk some sense into her.

‘’No, I’m serious, William. I’m going for a walk. There is nothing you can do to stop me. Are you coming or not?’’ Kate snapped. She stood up, grabbed her gloves and scarf and walked out of the room, leaving a perplexed William behind.

William hesitated for a second and then followed his wife. No way she was going out in the dark on her own.

—————

Kate clattered her teeth. She held on to William just a little bit tighter. They were walking for twenty minutes and she really started to get cold.

‘’This is enough,’’ William said. ‘’We are turning around right now.’’

‘’Alright.’’ Kate sighed. She hated she was feeling so low and weak.

‘’You don’t have to act strong when you are feeling ill,’’ William said softly. ‘’I already know how strong a person you are, honey. You don’t have to prove anything, you know that.’’ He kissed her cheek.

‘’You’re freezing, let’s go back.’’

As they turned around, Kate spoke.

‘’I know. It’s just, I hate feeling like I do today. Being cold and tired all the time.’’

‘’Not just that, it looked like you almost passed out before, in the bedroom. What exactly happened? You looked like you could vomit any second.’’

‘’I felt like that, really,’’ Kate said honestly. ‘’I don’t know. I was standing in front of the closet and all of a sudden I felt dizzy. So I had to sit down and then you called me. I didn’t have the strength to answer you and that’s when you came upstairs.’’

Kate felt a twitch in her stomach. She let go of William and turned to the side of the road and emptied her stomach.

‘’Wow.’’ William was shocked. ‘’You really are sick. I’ll call Dad and ask if he can pick us up in his Landrover. I’m not letting you walk all the way back. No argument.’’

He then pulled Kate in an embrace. ‘’Hold on to me. Focus on yourself and please don’t pass out. Do you want to sit down?’’

Kate shook her head. ‘’The ground is freezing cold. If I didn’t have the ‘flu already, I will get a pneumonia if I sit down.’’ She started shaking and shivering and let herself fall against William’s chest.

“What’s wrong with you?’’ William thought out loud. ‘’Yesterday, you were fine and today you’re this big mess. The ‘flu doesn’t come so suddenly, it always announces itself by giving you a cold or something a couple days earlier.’’

‘’Maybe I’m pregnant.’’ It was out of her mouth before Kate thought twice about it.

‘’What!?’’ William held Kate at an arm’s length to look at her properly.

‘’Don’t freak out,’’ she said hastily. ‘’I don’t know if it’s true. It’s just that all the signs are here.’’

‘’I’m not freaking out,’’ William replied. ‘’Why would I, we always wanted to have our own family. I just don’t understand. We always use protection.’’

‘’Well, those aren’t a hundred percent reliable. Maybe it happened anyway.’’

‘’We’ll get a pregnancy test first thing in the morning.’’

As William said this, he heard the honking of the car’s horn. Charles had arrived to bring them home.

William grabbed Kate’s hand. ‘’I hope you’re pregnant, it would be absolutely fantastic! Now let’s go home so I can take care of you.’’

—————

When Kate woke up the next morning, she was feeling feverish. When she told William this, he said: ‘’You know, I think you just have the ‘flu. The symptoms yesterday were the same as the ones indicating a pregnancy, but a fever is not one of them.’’

‘’I know,’’ Kate sighed. ‘’There’s just this part inside of me that really hoped I was actually pregnant. It would be great to start our own little family. I always wanted that.’’

William propped himself up on one elbow and looked at Kate, who was shivering next to him. He pulled the blanket up so it was covering her up to her chin. ‘’I know you always wanted a family for yourself – and so do I – but don’t you think it will be more special if we are prepared at the possibility? That we are actively trying to get pregnant instead of finding out it was an accident like this?’’

‘’I guess.’’ Kate thought about what William said. ‘’At this point, I guess it doesn’t matter to me. Pregnant is pregnant.’’

William just smiled at his wife.

‘’What?’’

‘’Nothing. I just think you’ll agree with me when you are actually carrying my – our – baby.’’

‘’You don’t know if this is a false alarm just yet. I could be both pregnant and having the ‘flu.’’

‘’You’re right. I’ll go and run to the nearest pharmacy to get you a test. Then we’ll know for sure. Do you want me to make you breakfast before I go?’’

Kate shook her head. ‘’I’m feeling far too sick to eat.’’

‘’Alright, but I will get you some water. You have to stay hydrated when you are feeling like this.’’ He planted a kiss on her forehead – the only part not covered by the blanket – and left for the kitchen. When he returned to their bedroom, Kate already had fallen back to sleep. She woke up when he closed the door. Kate tried to sit up.

‘’No, you lie down. I’ll put the glass of water on your nightstand. I also brought you a hot water bottle. Thought you could use it.’’ As soon as he lifted the blanket to put the bottle next to her, Kate started to shiver again. ‘’See, here you go. Try to get some more sleep, as much as you can. I told Dad you were ill, so he won’t bother you. He is downstairs, reading his book in the living room. I will go to the village now.’’

Kate just nodded and closed her eyes again. William left, closing the door quietly behind him.

As he walked the little walk to the village, he tried to put together his confidence. How was he supposed to go to the pharmacy and ask for a couple of pregnancy tests like it was the most normal thing in the world? Should he have asked for his secretary to go instead? No, it ís the most normal thing in the world, he told himself. Guys all over to world do this thing every day for their girlfriends, wives, one night stands even. Surely he could go in there and buy some for himself? He hoped with all his heart the cashier would be discrete and not tell the press what errand made him come to the pharmacy. He knew the people who worked there, having to buy once in a while the usual medicines, like aspirins and that sort of stuff. Once he actually had to ask for a some bandages, because Harry had fell down out of a tree and sprained his wrist. William smiled when he thought back at this, it had been a long time ago. His Dad was busy comforting Harry, so William had to go and buy the bandages. He had reached the shop. Taking a deep breath, he pushed open the door. The sound of the bell made the pharmacist look up. It was Jerry, who had know William since he was a little kid. William let go of the breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. Jerry would not tell anyone. Thank God. He walked up to the counter.

‘’Your Royal Highness, how can I help today?’’ Jerry asked.

‘’First of all, don’t call me that. I’m on holiday here, not on duty. Call me Will. How many times do I have to tell you that?’’ William shook his hand.

‘’Just one more time, as always. Will.’’ Jerry tasted the sound of William’s name on his tongue. ‘’Weird. I do better with Your Royal Highness.’’

William laughed. ‘’Practise.’’

‘’So, what can I do for you? Anyone fallen ill?’’

‘’Yes, but that’s not why I’ve came. But now I come to think of it, I can use some ‘flu medication as well. Some cough drops, aspirins, that kind of stuff. The usual package. And a couple of pregnancy tests.’’ William hoped he’d said this as casually as could be. He never found out, because Jerry didn’t gave so much as a flinch.

‘’Of course, coming right up,’’ he answered.

Half an hour later, William was back at the castle.

Apparently, Kate had moved from her bed to the couch and she jumped right up when William opened the door.

‘’There you are! I can’t wait!’’

William grinned and but the plastic bag with his bought supplies on the table. ‘’So you aren’t too ill to move around? That’s good news.’’

‘’Yeah, I guess I’ve just came down with a heavy cold. The fever probably was a sign from my body telling me to take it easy. I want to take the test just to be sure, but I don’t think I’m pregnant anymore.’’ Her face dropped and suddenly, Kate looked very sad.

William rushed towards her and gave her a hug. ‘’It’ll be okay. Take the test to be sure. Try and focus to use your energy to get better. Then we can think about starting a family for real. And when that happens, hopefully we won’t freak out by the possibility of a pregnancy and hopefully you won’t be ill when we find out.’’ He handed her a pregnancy test. ‘’I’ll be right outside the bathroom door.’’

Kate gratefully accepted the test and walked away, William following right behind her. ‘’Take your time, I’ll hear the result when you’re finished.’’ He kissed her and closed the door when she was inside. He leaned back against the wall and sighed. Was he a bad husband for hoping Kate wasn’t pregnant? Sure, he wanted a family –very much, in fact – but this was not the way he had planned to find out. He always thought the decision to try for a baby had to be made first, with both of them supporting the idea, and the sex would be amazing, because they were trying to conceive. When that eventually happened, there would be enormous joy when Kate told him the happy news. But now, now his wife was on the brink of having the ‘flu, there weren’t any romantic moments involved either in the decision making nor the conceiving, and they hadn’t cleared their schedules. It would have to be the right time, there were so many engagements coming up the next few weeks and months, Kate wouldn’t be able to relax and rest. No, it really would be better if she wasn’t pregnant just yet.

‘’William, I’m ready. You can come in now.’’ Kate spoke from behind the bathroom door.

When William heard the lock turning, he didn’t hesitate for a second and opened it. Kate was standing in the bathroom and held the little stick.

‘’Does it say anything yet?’’ he asked.

‘’No, you have to wait sixty seconds. It’ll appear any second now.’’

William stood next to his wife and put an arm around her shoulders. Both looked intently at the little bit of plastic she was holding. It felt like ages before their answer finally popped unto the tiny screen.

Negative.

William said nothing. Kate stared at her hand for a moment and then slowly turned around to face William, who was waiting for her to start speaking. His face was filled with anticipation of her reaction, mixed with a little worry and pity.

‘’Maybe this is for the best.’’ Kate spoke very soft, so soft William could barely hear her speak. A tear rolled down her cheek, and she let it go. She pulled herself together and tried speaking once again. ‘’I thought a lot about what you said this morning, right before you went to the village – about this maybe not being the right time for us.’’

Still, William said nothing, but waited for Kate to finish.

”I want to get pregnant, when we both are ready and one hundred percent supporting the decision to try. I want to have romantic sex because we are trying and I want to use a tacky way to tell you it finally happened. I want all that, I do. But this all doesn’t deny the fact that I really wished, with whole my heart, that a little baby – our baby – was growing inside me.’’

Now Kate was really crying. William pulled her towards him and hugged her. He allowed Kate to sob on his shoulder, until after a while no more tears were streaming down her face. He stroked her cheek.

‘’Honey, listen. I know this feels like the end of the world right now. You anticipated and hoped you were pregnant and really believed you were. I know how much this affects you. But I know as well this is going to happen for us, really. We took those fertility tests some years ago and we both are fertile, you know that as well as I do.’’

Kate nodded against his shoulder. ‘’When the time is right, we are going to be parents to a wonderful little baby, and we’ll be a very happy family. Nothing stands in the way of that. Do you hear me?’’

Kate looked up. ‘’I do.’’ She was silent for a moment, and then asked: ‘’Do you think we should start trying to make a baby? I know our schedule is a bit busy right now, but it could take a while before we succeed, so that wouldn’t be a problem. And now we know we are trying, we could take that into account when we plan our next engagements. What do you think?’’ Her face was glowing again, filled with anticipation for William’s response.

‘’I absolutely agree with you. I want to have a family with you and I really think we’re ready to start trying. But you’ll have to recover first from this nasty cold you are having.’’

Kate smiled at him. ‘’Of course. I want to be as healthy as possible if I’m going to be pregnant!’’

William smiled back. He leaned towards his wife and gave her a long kiss. ‘’We are going to be parents.’’

The remaining part of their short holiday in Balmoral, William and Kate were both really flirtatious with each other, something Charles couldn’t understand at all. Kate soon felt better already, and she was glad her cold hadn’t become something worse. She could simply not afford the luxury of being lazy until she got better: her schedule didn’t allow that. She had rested the day they found out their test was negative. The next morning, she was feeling all like herself again, something William was very glad about. As they sat at the breakfast table, he whispered in her ear, ”I’m glad you’re feeling okay already. Maybe we can start trying tonight?”

Kate giggled heavily and blushed. She looked away from both William and Charles, who had a very strange look at his face.

”What is the matter with you two? Something happened yesterday, and now you are acting like teenage lovebirds all of a sudden.”

William smirked, but didn’t have the courage to look Charles in the eyes.

Charles continued. ”And William, as your father, I have to say your behaviour isn’t very polite. Whispering in Kate’s ears while I’m eating my breakfast here as well. I think it is rude. This is not how I raised you.” He pointed his fork at William.

Kate raised her eyebrows in amazement at Charles’s speech. She had never heard him lecture William before about his behaviour. Besides, he was an adult already, he could take care of himself.

But to William, Charles’s words had the intended effect. Feeling ashamed of himself, he made himself look Charles directly in the eye. ”I’m sorry, Dad, won’t happen again.”

”Thank you.” Charles replied. ”Just feeling like the fifth wheel here. Camilla isn’t here and with you two playing lovey-dovey all the time is not how I imagined our last days here.”

Kate nodded at him. ”We completely understand you, Charles.” Sensing they had spoken enough about this topic, she said to him, ”What you do want to do today?”

Charles smiled thankfully at her. ”Well, since it is our last day here, I would really like if William and I can go shooting once again, for the last time. But I understand if you’re not up for it, leaving Kate alone on your last day here.”

William looked at Kate. ”That’s true. I don’t think you’re up for a whole day outside in the cold, are you?”

Kate shook her head. ”I don’t want to give this cold the chance to turn into something worse. I’m feeling better now, and I want to keep it that way.”

William nodded in agreement. ”That is the sensible thing to do. Then we’ll have to find anything else to do today, Dad. I’m not leaving Kate her all on her own.”

”No, actually, it is okay,” Kate stepped in. ”You go and have fun outside. I’ll take a bath and call Pippa. It’s been a long time since I’ve spoken to her, so we’ll have a lot to catch up to. If you could make the fire for me so I wouldn’t be cold, that would be great, but otherwise, I’ll make it on my own today.”

”You don’t mind at all? It’s our last day here?” William asked.

”Yeah, I’m sure. The only thing I can do today is hanging around the house a bit and relax. It’s your last day as well, I don’t want to spoil it by making you two hang about the house as well. That would be boring for all of us. But could you please make the fire?” Kate gave William her best puppy eyes.

He smiled at her. ”Of course. It’s the least I can do for you.” He looked at Charles. ”You ready Dad? Let’s go get our hunting gear, shall we?”

—————

Kate had waved goodbye to her husband and father in law, and had then gone upstairs to take a long hot bath. She could use it to get the last bit of the cold out of her system. William had once again asked if you was totally okay with them being away the most part of the day, but she had reassured him for the second time. With everything that had happened to her the last two days, she could use some time to relax. It felt like she had taken a long ride on a very emotional rollercoaster and it was time to get off.

Lying in the bath, she had thought back at the last day. She and William was really trying to start a family. Kate was happy to have no stressful thought, when this topic came to mind. This was a good sign, she told herself. She really was ready. Of course, the whole world would follow the pregnancy and later the baby all the time, but she was used to it already. They would write about her anyway, even if there wasn’t a baby on the way. The main reason she wanted to speak to Pippa was to tell her this news.

An hour later, when she hung up her phone and placed it on the table, Kate smiled to herself. Pippa had been so excited with this news, Kate had laughed at her.

”You’re being ridiculous, Pip, the baby isn’t even born yet, let alone conceived. Still, you are acting like you have to prepare his first birthday party.”

She shouldn’t have said this, because Pippa again started to freak out and immediately proposed a lot of plans and themes for this party.

”Ah, Kate, cut me some slack here! I’m going to be an aunt! I’m so very happy for you two! Congratulations.”

”Thank you, Pippa.”

Kate was silent. All of a sudden, it hit her.

”Kate?” Pippa’s voice sounded worried. ”You still here?”

”I’m going to be a Mum. Oh my god. I never saw it in that prospective.”

Now it was Pippa’s turn to start laughing. ”Well, what did you think would happen? You two having a baby, but not becoming parents? Don’t be stupid. You’ll both be the most important people in his life.”

”Yeah.”

”Kate, listen to me. It’s gonna be okay. You are a natural, I know that. You’re always so relaxed and responsible around babies. You can do this.”

After Pippa’s little pep talk, Kate’s spirits had raised again. They were going to handle this just fine, but she had to remind herself not to get ahead of things. First, she had to actually get pregnant. She should focus on that.


	2. Chapter 2

April went by, and so did May. William and Kate were busy doing Royal engagements every few days. This process was exhausting, particularly for William, as they still lived at Anglesey in their cottage close by the sea. They had to travel back and forth from Wales to London, sometimes to three times a week. Things were easier on Kate; she didn’t have to fly a helicopter in storms to rescue hurt men and women. Instead, she could stay at home and study for the next engagement she had to perform. But William had a job which demanded a lot of energy and focus. Kate knew the sensible thing to do for him was quit, but she couldn’t be the one to tell him that. He loved his job so much and dreaded the prospect of becoming a fulltime royal, an event which was due some place next year. Kate had tried once or twice to talk him around, but to no advance. As herself, William was stubborn. But deep inside he knew as well things couldn’t possibly stay the same. They were trying to have a family; his contract with the RAF would end in the beginning of 2014 and they were busy furnishing their Kensington home. But he just didn’t have the energy to focus on all these new things. His job was exhausting and on top of that, he and Kate were having sex almost every night, trying to get pregnant. Both were stressed and tired, which didn’t always put them in a good mood, particularly this evening. 

‘’Kate, please,’’ William said wearily, ‘’can’t we just have pizza tonight? I’m tired and I’m hungry, okay?’’

Kate looked disappointed. ‘’I already got all the ingredients at the store this afternoon. I want to cook us a nice meal, it’s Friday night after all. We can have a nice dinner, watch a movie together, go to bed early...’’

‘’That’s a good idea,’’ William said. ‘’I really am tired, I could use some extra sleep.’’

Kate fell silent. ‘’Actually, I meant –‘’

‘’I know what you meant!’’ William raised his voice. ‘’I’m just not in the mood for sex tonight, okay?’’

Kate looked amazed at William’s sudden outburst. Before she could say anything in reply, he continued speaking.

‘’And don’t mind dinner. You just cook all these nice meals to get me in the mood to have sex with you! But let me tell you something, those romantic nights you organize every time I have a night off, they don’t help anyway! It’s two months later and you’re still not pregnant! Does it ever occur to you that I want some time to relax, to unwind after another crazy, jam packed week? I bet you didn’t! So I’m ordering pizza and then I’m going to bed!’’ 

Kate didn’t know what to say. She looked at William in horror. He had never yelled at her like that before. Tears were welling up in her eyes. The things he’d said really hurt, she was trying so hard to comfort him when he didn’t have to work. This was so unfair to her, this outburst of him. Kate didn’t know what to do or say, she just stood in their living room with a horror struck look on her face and tears in her eyes. William stood up from the couch he was lying on and walked out of the room, slamming the door behind him as he did so. Kate kneeled down to the floor, not believing what had just happened. They were trying for a baby for two months now, but she wasn’t pregnant yet. She took the test every two weeks to check, but luck was not on her side. She thought back to their holiday at Balmoral - now two months ago - and the decision they made to try and have a baby. Things were so different back then – for one, they were both really excited at the prospect Kate was pregnant and disappointed when it proved to be a false alarm. And now, she was sitting on the floor, crying, because apparently, William didn’t even bother trying anymore. Guilt started to sink in. Was she to blame? Was William angry with her because she wasn’t pregnant yet, even though they had been trying almost every night? No, she couldn’t think like this. It was nobody’s fault, and certainly not hers. She started to get angry at her husband. What gave him the right to yell at her and blame her for all those things? She was just trying to be a good wife. She knew how busy and tired he was; she didn’t expect sex every night he was free, it just turned out that way because they had some little quality time. If he thought she was this shallow, then fine. He can order his pizza, she was cooking the dinner she’d planned. If she wanted to get pregnant at some point, it was important to keep her body healthy, so no fast food. She got up and made her way to the kitchen. She wasn’t letting the things he said just now mess with her head. If he was ready to apologize, she would forgive him, but damn, did he have to make an effort before that happened.

An hour and a half later, Kate silently sat at their kitchen table, eating dinner all by herself. She hadn’t seen William since he’d stormed out. In fact, she didn’t even know if he was still home. To make this meal less boring and depressing, Kate watched the news as she ate, but this didn’t really help. Normally, when William was out working and Kate was alone at night, she’d sit on the couch in the living room, watching a comedy show or a silly movie with Lupo at her feet while she ate. This situation today, however, didn’t suit for that kind of occupation. Kate glanced at the clock above the refrigerator. It was 8 pm already. She sighed and took the last bite of her fish. She still had to do the washing up and walk Lupo. Usually, William took Lupo out for a stroll in the evenings, but Kate didn’t feel like calling out for him. She would do it herself. She placed her plate in the sink and looked around for her car keys. The washing up would come later, right now she had to clear her head. She took Lupo’s leash from the hook in the hallway and made for her car, opening the back door for her dog. Their favourite place on the beach was close by, but with Lupo it was far easier to take the car. 

When Kate arrived at the parking space, she was glad to see no other cars. The walk with Lupo raised her spirits again. She still felt some anger towards William, but the clear sky and the wind cleared her head. She could enjoy the sight of her dog, running around along the beach, chasing the seagulls and escaping the waves when they came too close for his liking. She smiled at him and wondered where William had took off to. His car hadn’t been in the drive way when she left their house. She thought it well possible for him to have set off to London, to crash at Harry’s place. ‘’Coward,’’ she silently mumbled to herself. Kate never was a person to fight with others. If that happened, she always made things up quickly. The horrible feeling started to come back. She was in a really big fight with her husband and right now she didn’t even know where he was. She wanted to do nothing better than make up with him right now. He was just tired, which caused his temper and yelling. She knew that. She was his bloody wife, of course she knew that. She searched her pockets for her phone, but remembered she’d left it lying on the kitchen counter in her search for the car keys. Great, she couldn’t even phone him to tell they were going to be alright. Kate slouched with her hands in her pockets. She checked her watch – ten more minutes, then she would turn around and walk back. Lupo was having so much fun she couldn’t bring herself to go back just now, so she just walked on, keeping her eyes on the sand beneath her. She only looked up because Lupo started to bark and run around in a frenzy. 

‘’What’s the matter, boy?’’ Kate asked him. Lupo turned his head to look at her and then ran away from her as fast as he possibly could. 

‘’Lupo!’’ Kate yelled after him. ‘’Come back!’’ 

But he didn’t listen and kept running. 

‘’Shit!’’ Kate cursed and started to run after her dog. After a minute or two, Lupo finally slowed down his pace and Kate could catch up with him. Still running as fast as she could, Kate could see why Lupo had set off so suddenly. Lupo had come to a halt and so did she. William was sitting a couple yards away from her, Lupo in front of him, wagging his tail furiously. He obviously picked off his scent and started to run towards him. Kate wasn’t prepared to see him here, but at the same time felt relieved she knew where he was. She walked up to him and sat down as well. She didn’t look at him until Lupo started to lick William’s face. When Kate turned her head to see why on earth their dog displayed such a behaviour, she saw he was crying. Still feeling he should make the first move, Kate kept being silent and just waited. After a while, Lupo was done licking William’s face clean and lied down next to her. She absently stroked his belly. The minutes passed by slowly; Kate started to get cold. Just when she decided William wasn’t ever going to speak and she should just go home, he finally opened his mouth.

‘’Please stay.’’ 

Kate had already gotten to her feet, but sat down next to him again. She noticed William struggled to find the right words, so she kept silent once more. 

‘’Kate, I – ‘’ 

Kate looked at him and saw his eyes were still filled with tears. She grabbed his hand and slightly squeezed it. This small gesture seemed to help, but William didn’t have the courage to look his wife in the eyes.

‘’I’m so sorry.’’ He did appear to have found the strength to speak. ‘’I’m so terribly, terribly sorry, Kate. You have no idea how ashamed I am of myself right now. I should not have yelled at you, the things I said were so very unfair to you. I can’t imagine how much they must have hurt you. And to know, I – your husband, for God’s sake – am the cause of that –‘’ His voice was stuck in his throat, but he managed to go on. ‘’I am your husband and I never want to hurt you. The things I said tonight are unforgivable. I’m not going to make any excuses, but I will promise you it will never happen again. As your husband, it my job to protect you from any harm, not being to cause of it.’’ William finally succeeded to bring himself to look Kate in the eyes. She could see the regret and the shame in them and knew how much he loathed himself right now and how much he regretted what he had done. She leaned towards him and gave him a kiss.   
‘’It’s alright. I just want you to know I’m not cooking those meals for you just to have sex with you in order to get pregnant. I want to spend time with you when you’re not working, that’s all.’’

‘’I know,’’ William replied. ‘’I didn’t mean the things I said tonight. I lost my mind. I absolutely love those evenings. I had a really stressful day at work today and I took it out on you in the most unfair fashion. It’ll never happen again.’’

Kate smiled at him. ‘’Let’s go home.’’

When they were driving home, William seemed to come to his senses. 

‘’Shit, I left my own car parked at the beach. Can you turn around so I can pick it up?’’ William asked.

They were almost home already. ‘’You’re having the day off tomorrow, right? You can walk back in the morning with Lupo. Bet he’ll love that,’’ Kate replied. 

‘’Yeah, I suppose why not,’’ said William. He turned his head to look at Kate. ‘’You know I didn’t even want pizza. I like your cooking so much better. In fact, I never got to the store.’’

Kate smiled. ‘’You must be starving, then. Lucky for you, I haven’t cleaned the kitchen yet. I think there are a few leftovers. You can heat them up.’’

‘’Thanks.’’

After this conversation, things were back to normal between them with all the tension gone. But the thought she wasn’t pregnant yet kept nagging at the back of Kate’s head. She tried not to think about that all the time, she had to focus on her daily life. And so the weeks passed, filled with engagements and flying helicopters. On one night, Kate couldn’t take it any longer. She was tired all the time from travelling back and forth to London. They’d had a particularly busy week and the next week wasn’t going to be any less stressful. The summer holidays were nearing already, but before William and Kate could enjoy a nice break away from all the stress back home, they still had to work a good couple of weeks. Today, Kate had visited a children’s centre she was patroness of. She was by herself, William was working in Anglesey. She hadn’t been able to perform at her very best today, about which she felt really guilty. It was a privilege for everyone working there to finally get a chance of meeting her in person, and then she couldn’t even bring herself to smile friendly to everyone without putting a lot of effort into it. The fact was, Kate was jealous. Jealous of all the parents who visited as well today. Jealous at their children. She and William tried for a baby since April and now it was July. Kate knew getting pregnant could take a very long time, but right now she couldn’t think rationally. She desperately wanted a baby. That night, Kate was exceptionally quiet. She and William were watching a comedy show on the television, but Kate didn’t really pay attention. She stared at the telly, but the show didn’t come through to her. After a while, William pressed the mute button on the remote control. 

‘’What’s wrong?’’ he asked.

‘’Nothing,’’ she replied vaguely.

‘’Kate, don’t fool yourself. You haven’t spoken the whole evening. This show is really good fun, but you’re just staring in the space instead of watching. So tell me what’s wrong.’’

Kate sighed. William always sensed when Kate wasn’t feeling at her best, physically or emotionally. She took a deep breath and said, ‘’I was jealous.’’

‘’Jealous?’’ William said incomprehensibly. 

‘’Yeah. Of all the parents today, who all had at least one child. And those kids really loved their parents, you could tell.’’

‘’But –‘’ William tried to process what Kate was saying, ‘’those kids are all really sick. That’s why they built that centre you visited today.’’

‘’Yeah, but at least they have children, despite that they’re sick!’’ Kate spat. ‘’We are two perfectly healthy human beings, but for some stupid reason I’m still not pregnant!’’

William pulled Kate into a hug and tried to calm her. ‘’You’re far too obsessed with getting pregnant,’’ he said soothingly, all the while stroking her long brown hair.

‘’You’re not helping,’’ Kate sounded muffled from being pressed against William’s chest.

‘’Let me finish. It’s not healthy to be this obsessed with getting a child. Women are more likely to conceive when they’re not stressed or worried about something. That lets their bodies think you’re preoccupied with something else and therefore it’s not the right time to get pregnant. It’s time for you to de-stress.’’

‘’How?’’

‘’Well, for one thing, I’m getting rid of all the ovulation and pregnancy tests in this house. You’re only going to check if you’re pregnant when you haven’t had your period and not every week as you are doing now. Hopefully, that will make you less focussed on it and make room in your head to be busy with other things. To relax, for instance. And secondly, we have to work for two more weeks. After that, we’ll have more time for ourselves and we can do whatever we want. I’m going to choose a nice holiday spot for us where we can forget the rest of the world for a couple of days. You can focus on yourself again, having time to cook, read, walk Lupo and work out. How does that sound to you?’’

‘’Perfect.’’ Kate sat upright again. She smiled at him. ‘’How can you always make me feel better?’’

‘’It’s my job,’’ William shrugged. He smiled back. ‘’I should have noticed this far earlier. How long are you thinking like this?’’

‘’Couple of weeks,’’ Kate replied truthfully.  
‘’Well, I’m to blame. I’ve been far too busy working as a helicopter pilot and a Royal as well.’’

‘’You’re not to blame!’’ cried Kate. ‘’It’s not your fault I’m feeling like this. But the prospect of the holiday you just described does put me in a better mood. Oh, I love to have time to read and work out again! I’ve really missed that.’’

‘’I know you have.’’ William kissed her forehead. ‘’Let me find a really nice spot for us to lay low for a while then.’’

‘’Hmmm.’’ Kate didn’t listen to what William was saying, she was too occupied with kissing him. ‘’Wanna go to the bedroom?’’

That night, Kate could finally enjoy having sex with William, without thinking about the possibility of getting pregnant. She only thought about the moment right now. When she snuggled up to him, she thought about how he always succeeded in making her feel better. She kissed his chest and looked up to him to tell him that, but William had already fallen asleep. Smiling, Kate closed her own eyes as well.   
\----------  
William had really done a good job on picking a holiday spot. He hadn’t told Kate were they were going exactly; all she knew it was somewhere in the south of the UK. He didn’t want to go abroad: they only had a couple of days for themselves because they were expected at Balmoral in the second week of August. William hoped he and Kate could go somewhere warm and out of the media glare in the autumn, but this summer they had to stay in Britain. 

‘’Well, I don’t mind,’’ Kate said, when William had shared his thoughts with her. They were driving from Anglesey towards their holiday destination. Well, William was driving of course, as he was the only person who knew where to head off to. Kate made herself comfortable in the seat next to him. They were travelling at night, because William had to work during the day. Kate was snuggling under a warm blanket, draped all over her body. 

‘’Don’t you dare doze off,’’ William said to her, jokingly. 

‘’Hmmm, why not?’’ Kate replied lazily.

‘’Well, it’s a long drive and it’s really boring when you are sleeping.’’

‘’You always have Lupo to talk to,’’ Kate joked.

‘’Well, yeah, but you noticed the last time he spoke? It would be kind of a one-way conversation.’’ 

Kate laughed and turned to look at Lupo, who was lying on the backseat of their Landrover. He too was snuggling on a blanket, as were Kate, and he was fast asleep. He didn’t mind travelling by car. 

‘’He is probably tired from our workout this afternoon,’’ she said. 

‘’Oh, you wore him out again this week?’’ 

‘’No, just today. Yesterday I went jogging by myself, so he could rest a bit. I don’t think it’s a good idea to train everyday with him. It’ll cost too much energy.’’

‘’True. Where did you go?’’ William asked, keeping his eyes on the road ahead of him. 

‘’Oh, nothing special, just on the beach. So, where are we going, then?’’ Kate asked breezily, hoping to catch William off guard. 

It was a technique she used often when he had a surprise for her and she wanted to find out. Normally, he didn’t gave it away, but now he actually replied. 

‘’Oh, just to your parents’ house,’’ he said. 

Kate chuckled. ‘’Just when I thought you were actually going to tell me something. You’re just to good at noticing when I want to found out.’’ She was silent for a moment, looking at the traffic lights at the side of the road, where they were speeding behind. ‘’Would be nice, though.’’

‘’What would?’’ William had to take a turn, so he didn’t catch what Kate was saying. 

‘’Having a break at Bucklebury. That would be good, now I come to think of it, having the place entirely for ourselves, of course. We know the neighbourhood and the house; we could cook our own dinner instead of eating at a restaurant where people’ll stare at us and snap pictures. Mum and Dad are at the moment at Mustique. We could go!’’

William looked away from the road and looked at Kate if she was serious. ‘’Kate, d’you really mean what you are saying right now? I spent hours searching for the perfect place for you, where you can relax and just be with me and Lupo.’’ He sounded slightly disappointed.

Kate fell silent, all the enthusiasm waving off. ‘’I’m sorry, you’re right. Of course, you are. It was really rude of me to say – or think - such a thing. There will be plenty of times to spend at Bucklebury. These days, we’re going to enjoy the spot you picked out for me.’’ She patted his knee.

‘’Thank you.’’ 

William turned the radio on and Kate closed her eyes. She not really wanted to fall asleep, just doze for a bit. Of course, she was fooling herself and she was fast asleep five minutes later. 

When William looked at her, he hadn’t expected otherwise. Kate had had an incredibly busy schedule the past weeks, keeping up with all her engagements. Most of them were out of the media glare, so she also had to cope with the opinion she wasn’t working hard enough. Besides, trying to get pregnant, or rather worrying about it, had also taken its toll on her. After her breakdown in the living room a couple weeks ago, things had steadily improved. She was happier and more relaxed, but she could still use a break from all of this. When she started keeping up with her workouts again, she had been in a better mood. She loved to work out, in all shapes and sizes. William was planning to make one room at their Kensington apartment a gym, so she could train whenever she wanted. They didn’t have much equipment at Anglesey, so most of the time she just when jogging at the beach with Lupo, but that was doomed to become boring after a while.   
Lost in his own head, William didn’t notice how the time was flying. Their destination was just one minute away. Before he knew it, he was leading the car up the driveway. He pushed the brake and they came to a halt. 

Kate woke from the sudden stop of the car. ‘’Are we here yet?’’ 

‘’Yup,’’ William replied ‘’What do you think?’’

Kate looked out the window. ‘’But, that is my parents’ house.’’ She gave William a bewildered look. ‘’Did the car break down? You came here for help?’’

William smiled. ‘’No,’’ he said, ‘’actually, this is the place where we going to lay low for the next few days. I thought you would like it,’’ he added when he saw the pure happiness appearing on Kate’s face.

‘’You’re kidding!’’ she cried out. ‘’And to think I felt guilty before about making the comment about holidaying here!’’

‘’I’m sorry,’’ William said apologetically, but he couldn’t hide his smile.

‘’Well, I sure as hell am not!’’ Kate jumped out of the car, opened the back door for Lupo and chased her dog to the front door. 

William laughed at the side at this, knowing he had done the right thing by bringing them here. ‘’So, I’ll just bring the bags, won’t I?’’ he shouted after his dog and wife. But they didn’t hear him calling, being already inside the house. 

With a big smile on his face, William followed.

 

The next few days, Kate kept thanking William for his brilliant idea. She absolutely loved being at Bucklebury again; it was so much better than living in a hotel. Before they arrived, William had made sure the refrigerator was packed with all kinds of fresh ingredients, so they didn’t have to go shopping and present themselves in the village. Instead, they could sleep in, swim in the pool and just relax. Kate’s spirits rose every day. She had taken William’s advice to her heart and thrown out all the pregnancy tests. She would only check if there was an absolute reason to. With those things out of her house, the worries about it left her head as well. There weren’t any dark clouds anymore, hanging over her head every day. The first week she had struggled to live in the moment and not mesmerize about baby clothes and that kind of thing. She managed to let all those thoughts go and after a while, she felt completely herself again. 

‘’I can tell,’’ William said, as Kate was practically dancing around him out of pure happiness, ‘’you’re feeling much better.’’

He tried to give her a kiss, but Kate wouldn’t stand still for a moment. 

‘’I do!’’ She kept dancing around the counter. ‘’I’m so incredibly happy I’m feeling normal again. I should always listen to you in the future. Your advice is gold.’’

‘’Can I get a copy of that?’’ William grinned. 

‘’I think this will certainly raises our chances of conceiving,’’ Kate said. A moment later, she put her hand before her mouth, not believing what she had just said. ‘’You know, that was the first time I thought about that for like two weeks.’’ She walked up to William and embraced him. 

He smiled and gave her a kiss. ‘’That’s good news. Shall we start cooking now?’’

‘’We?’’ Kate raised her eyebrows. ‘’I hope that’s a ‘royal we’, because if you mean by ‘we’ actually the two of us, then I think I’ll pass.’’

William looked disappointed. ‘’You don’t have faith in me.’’

‘’Oh, that’s not true at all! I just said something like your advice being gold. But when it comes to cooking, then no.’’ She smiled at him. ‘’Still love you, though.’’

‘’Okay, I’ll tell you, let me make dinner tonight. I promise I won’t give you food poisoning.’’

‘’What if you fail?’’

‘’Then I’ll go to town and get us some pizzas.’’ William replied.

Kate hesitated for a second. ‘’Then everyone will know we’re here,’’ she said, biting her lip.

‘’Not if I order by phone and tell them to leave the pizzas at the door mat.’’ 

‘’You have a solution for everything, haven’t you?’’ Kate asked. ‘’Fine, I’m convinced. You’ll cook dinner, I will lay on the couch reading my book.’’

‘’But, -‘’ William hadn’t expected Kate to not bother about dinner at all. ‘’I thought you’d stay in the kitchen. What if I make a mistake?’’ All of a sudden, he sounded insecure. 

‘’Then you’ll order pizza,’’ Kate winked. Grabbing a water bottle out of the fridge, she walked out of the kitchen. ‘’Try and make some pasta!’’ she yelled at him from behind the closed kitchen door. Smiling, she turned around and relaxed on the couch. She wasn’t too worried about William’s cooking skills. He wasn’t a great chef, but certainly could manage a simple pasta recipe. She hoped he would succeed though, it was their last night tonight and it would be nice if they could enjoy a nice meal together. Kate made herself comfortable on the couch and tried to ignore the swearing coming from the kitchen. She tried to focus on her book. 

An hour later, William emerged from the kitchen, wearing a ridiculous apron which was her mother’s. On it were pictures from hot Italian chefs, wearing nothing but a chef’s hat. 

Kate looked at him. ‘’Looks good on you.’’

‘’I know, right. Thinking about getting this for Christmas this year.’’ William played along with the joke.

‘’Yeah, good idea. I think your Grandma will be really pleased when you unpack that in front of her eyes.’’

The smile disappeared from William’s face. ‘’Well played. Anyway, dinner is ready.’’

Dinner turned out to be really nice. William hadn’t dared to mix herbs with the pasta sauce, so he’d put them on the table for Kate to add to her plate. 

‘’Good solution, honey,’’ she said. ‘’I really think this tastes just fine.’’

William let out a sigh of relief. ‘’Thank God. I didn’t want to mess up our last dinner here. We’re going to have an amazing last night.’’ He bent over the table to kiss his wife.

This little holiday had William and Kate re-energized. They had two weeks for themselves at Anglesey before they were expected in Balmoral. The weeks passed quietly. The weather in the north was a lot colder, so they spent much of their time inside the house. After a while, this drove William crazy and he went for a run on the beach, taking Lupo with him. Kate watched him go and turned around to get a shower. As she did so, she noticed the calendar, hanging next to the fridge. With a shock, she realized she was already eight days late on her period. She hadn’t noticed it, because she had stopped thinking about a possible pregnancy every second of the day. But right now, Kate started to panic. Eight days late! She rushed to the hallway to get her coat and sped to the nearest shop to buy a test. When she got home again, William still wasn’t home. But Kate couldn’t wait any longer, she would tell him what the result was when he came back. When she stood in the bathroom, her hands were shaking with excitement. This could only mean one thing, right? It did. Kate stared with wide eyes at the little blue stick in her left hand. The magic word appeared. Finally. There it was. Pregnant.


	3. Chapter 3

Pregnant. Kate couldn’t believe what she was seeing. For weeks they had taken those tests together and now the outcome was finally positive, William wasn’t here! Kate didn’t know what to do. Her first instinct was to call her mother, but she felt William had to know first. He would be really disappointed if she told Carole before she told him. She sat on the couch, trying to get her feelings under control. She didn’t feel any different, her body didn’t give a sign a tiny person was growing inside her. She placed her hand on her stomach and felt a warm feeling spreading through her body, a feeling which made her glow inside. If being pregnant felt so wonderful, she could get used to the idea of it. 

After a moment of sitting silently on the couch, thinking, Kate stood up and walked to the hallway. She lifted her shirt and looked at herself in the mirror hanging next to the door. Nothing was to be seen yet. Well, she could have expected that. Suddenly, her phone rang. Kate ran back to the living room. The display lit up with the name of her husband.

‘’Hi, honey,’’ she answered.

‘’Hey, Katie, it’s me,’’ William said.

‘’Is everything okay?’’ Kate asked. William usually didn’t call when he walked Lupo.

‘’Yeah, don’t worry. I need you to come and pick up Lupo. I’m at the parking space at the north side of the beach. Work called in. There’s an emergency and I need to come in and help. Driving back Lupo would cost me too much time. Could you please come and get him?’’

‘’Sure, no problem. Will be there in ten, okay?’’

‘’Okay. Thanks.’’ William hung up.

Kate stared at the phone in her hands. William had no idea what was going on. She couldn’t tell him in a couple of minutes; news like that would certainly distract him from doing his job. That couldn’t happen when he was about the save a life. She’d have to wait telling him.

 

When she drove back home after picking up their dog, Kate got a brilliant idea. It would be so much fun if she didn’t tell William the ordinary way, but to make the occasion a little more special. She took a turn: she had to get supplies first.

At the store, Kate stacked up a huge supply of post-it notes and scotch tape. She then realised she’d have to buy ingredients for their dinner tonight. William would probably be late, so she’d eat by herself. Kate was half way to the pizza aisle before she noticed what she was doing. It was time to kick her habit of eating junk food while William was at work. She had to take care of two persons now, instead of just herself. Her body needed fuel, and so did her child. Kate turned around and sighed: she had really looked forward to be eating pizza. A moment later, she was ashamed of herself. How could she make a big deal about this? She was about to tell her husband she was pregnant and at the same time she was sulking because of a pizza? Kate shook the thought out of her head and went to get some healthy food for the night. All the while, she was smiling at herself; she already felt sorry for William to be having to put up with her pregnancy hormones.

After Kate had eaten dinner and cleaned the kitchen, she got to work. She guessed William would come home around midnight, so she had still a couple of hours to prepare her plans. It was her idea to write one special memory for the two of them on a post-it note, accompanied by a picture. She would send him through the whole house, ending in their bedroom. There she would wait for him. Suddenly, the nerves started to kick in. She had been so excited about this idea a couple hours ago, but now she was actually working on it, it seemed a little bit stupid. Kate wondered if it was too cliché to do such a thing, whether it was too immature. Here she was, growing a human being inside her, writing silly things on post-it notes. Kate let her pen fall on the table and put her head in her hands. ‘’What would William do?’’ she asked herself. The answer was pretty clear: he would continue. He was a romantic himself as well, he would absolutely love a gesture like this. He was the person who told her to be happy with the small pleasures of life. He would love it if his house was filled with memories of the two of them. Kate took up her pen again and finished writing the small notes. The next step was to raid the laptop to find pictures that would go with every memory she just thought of. In that way, the whole house would become a kind of timeline of their relationship together.

While she was browsing through the hundreds of candid shots of them together, Kate had frequently to remind herself she had to finish this before midnight, but she just couldn’t stop looking at all the photographs: it brought back wonderful memories. Pictures of the first day at St. Andrews, their very first holiday, the four of them working at the house in Hope street, painting walls. There were even some pictures of William sweating over the stove, trying to cook a decent meal. It took Kate a long time before she had made her final selection. She stapled every picture to the right post-it message and went to place them all somewhere in the house.

When Kate had finally finished, she was exhausted. She had worked really hard since this afternoon. She went to the kitchen to make herself a nice, warm cup of tea, when she heard a car pulling up at their driveway. William had already come back. Quickly grabbing a bottle of water from the refrigerator – making tea was too time-consuming: William would see her – she hurried towards their bedroom and waited, impatiently, for William to come to her.

—————

In the meantime, William got out of his car and walked towards the front door. He frowned. A post-it note was taped to it.

Welcome to our trip down memory lane. Meet you at the end. X

Not knowing what this could possibly mean, William apprehensively opened the door and turned on the lights.

‘’Kate! I’m home!’’ He yelled. No reply came. William shrugged off his coat and turned around to put it away, when he saw the next little not. It hung next to the hook for his coat.

Our first meeting.

Attached to the note was a picture of 5 people, including the two of them. It was taken in their St. Andrews dorm, where they shared a corridor together. William smiled at the younger versions of himself and Kate. God, he had far more hair back then. He turned the note over and noticed something was scribbled on the back as well.

Go to the kitchen.

William clutched the note and picture in his hand and did as he was told. He didn’t understand it yet. What the hell was Kate up to? The next note was taped to the fridge.

St. Andrews, it said. This time the picture showed William and Kate relaxing on the grass at the university campus. William smiled for the second time. He remembered: that day was the first time he spent some time alone with Kate and they realized how much they had in common. They became really good friends from that moment onwards. He turned the note over to read his next instruction.

Open the fridge.

Inside the refrigerator was a little plastic box, used to preserve left-overs. Feeling what this picture might behold, William opened the box.

The moment I realized I’d rather do the cooking.

A little ashamed, William looked at the photograph. He looked at the younger version of himself, visibly sweating above the stove. Everything seemed to go wrong at once. One pan clearly was over spilled, the meat was burned and in his rush to fix things, he had knocked the plate with the cut up vegetables to the ground, so he was standing in a pool of paprika, tomatoes and onion. He had in fact tried to make Kate dinner that night. It was not long after that infamous fashion show, where he had seen Kate in a different light for the first time. He’d tried cooking to impress her. Well, in that he had succeeded, but in the wrong way. He had never known Kate had taken a picture of a moment he wished to forget as soon as possible. Cooking still wasn’t a particularly strong suit of his. The back of the note told him to go to the living room.

When William entered, he saw notes everywhere. He had no idea where to start. To buy himself a little more time, he closed the door. Luckily this was his first move, for a note was taped to it.

Start here.

The day our grown-up lives started.

William knew what the picture was going to be before he had seen it. He was right. It was the day they had both graduated from St. Andrews. They had posed with their arms around each other. Nowadays, everyone knew this picture existed, but originally it belonged to the family album of Kate’s parents. William had gotten his own copy, which he had framed. It still stood on his nightstand to this day. Graduation had meant a big chance in their lives. Kate had to find work and he himself would join the army. The next years were hard for the both of them, so William was not surprised the next picture had skipped a couple of years.

It was taken at the Seychelles, where they had decided to be with each other for the rest of their lives. They hadn’t broken up since. He had made the promise to be more committed to their relationship, but also stressed the point he wasn’t ready for marriage yet. Fortunately, Kate had understood. A couple years later she had actually thanked him for not proposing at that moment. They were far too young to be already a married couple. Eagerly, William walked to the next picture, taped to the television.

Our first Chrismas together at Balmoral.

It was a picture of Kate, holding a dead pheasant William had shot during the hunting of Boxing Day. It was the first time his grandmother had invited Kate over for Christmas. She had felt this was the right thing to do, now their relationship was much more serious. It had been well kept out of the public eye; nobody had known Kate was in Scotland.

William looked around the room. There were only two pictures left. He walked to the nearest one, as instructed on the last post-it note.

The first time I saw you dead nervous.

Attached to the note was a picture of the view from their Kenyan lodge. The date stamp said October 2010. It was the day he had proposed to Kate. It was true, he never was more nervous in his life. Although they had already decided to spend the rest of their lives together back in 2007, the nerves almost took control of his body that day. He had frantically carried around his backpack, where he had hidden the engagement ring. All had ended well: Kate had accepted, of course, and still wore proudly her engagement ring to this day. That must mean the last card must behold a picture of their wedding day. Indeed it did, but not a picture that was well known. In fact it beheld the two of them, lying on their bed at Buckingham Palace. Between the official luncheon and reception, they’d had a little time to relax from their very busy day. Kate was laughing her head off, because a joke he had made about their wedding at Westminster Abbey. The picture was a bit blurred, which meant Pippa had been laughing at well and thus had not been able to hold the camera still. William grinned. It had been one of the most fun moments of that day. He turned the note over, curious what it might say. During his way through the kitchen and living room, he had forgotten about the reason why Kate had done such a thing, but now he started thinking again. What did this mean?

Come to the bedroom. Last memory will be there.

Last memory? What would that be?

William couldn’t make his mind up while he walked to their bedroom. Filled with anticipation, he opened the door. Kate sat on their bed, smiling, and stood up when William entered. She handed him an envelope.

‘’We still have to make this memory,’’ she said beaming.

‘’Kate, what is this about?’’ William asked. ‘’Why have you done all this?’’

‘’Just open it.’’

William fumbled with the envelope for a minute and held it upside down. A small blue stick fell into his hand. He looked at his wife.

‘’Kate, do you mean –‘’

‘’Just look at it.’’ Kate was still beaming.

William read the one word on the stick and his mouth fell open. Slowly, he turned to face Kate.

‘’Oh, my God… You’re pregnant! I can’t believe –‘’ He threw the envelope on the bed and rushed towards her, holding her head in his hands.

‘’Darling! This is the most incredible news!’’ He kissed Kate, who just couldn’t stop smiling at William.

‘’How long have you known?’’

‘’Not that long,’’ answered Kate. ‘’I’ve found out when you were walking Lupo. I realized my period was more than a week late, so I went to the pharmacy to buy a test. I just took it when you called me to get Lupo. I didn’t want to tell you –‘’

‘’Because we agreed you wouldn’t tell me important news just before I have to fly a helicopter and save a life in horrible weather.’’ William ended the sentence for her.

‘’Exactly. Then I thought it would be nice to find a cute way of telling you, so I came up with this plan. What do you think of it?’’ She asked that question a little tentatively.

‘’What? Of course!’’ William cried out. ‘’I loved it! It was wonderful to see the most beautiful memories of our lives together taped through the whole house and to know we’ll make some more soon!’’ He hugged Kate. ‘’I want to tape all the pictures on the fridge.’’

Kate smiled at his enthusiasm. ‘’How was work?’’

William made an irritated gesture with his hand. ‘’I don’t want to talk about work! I want to talk about you! How are you feeling? I can’t believe we’re going to be parents!’’ He was practically jumping up and down in the room.

Kate grinned. ‘’Actually, I don’t feel anything. You can’t even see I’m pregnant yet. My stomach is still all flat.’’

William put his hand on her stomach and stroked it softly with his thumb. ‘’I think that will come soon enough.’’

They both lied down on the bed, William still stroking his wife’s belly. ‘’Our child is growing in there,’’ he whispered. ‘’That is the most amazing thing in the world.’’

Kate nestled her head on his chest. Both were silent for a moment, enjoying the happy feeling of soon becoming parents.

‘’Have you told your mother yet?’’ William asked.

‘’No, I wanted you to be the first to know.’’

William kissed her temple. ‘’That’s sweet. You should tell her, though, and Pippa as well.’’

‘’What about your family?’’ Kate asked. ‘’Do you want to tell them yet?’’

‘’Hmmm, I don’t know,’’ William mumbled. ‘’I would love it for us to enjoy our pregnancy in private, just the two of us who know what’s going on.’’

‘’Well, in that case I shouldn’t tell my Mum and Dad either,’’ Kate replied. ‘’It’ll be our secret then.’’

‘’Good idea.’’ William stifled a yawn.

‘’You should go to sleep.’’ Kate nudged her husband.

‘’I want to take care of you. What if something happened and I’m sleeping?’’

Kate laughed. ‘’Will, I’m pregnant, not severely ill or something. You can’t be up for nine months straight. You’ll be dead by the time our child is born. Go to sleep, I’ll do the same.’’

‘’Fine,’’ said William grudgingly.

When Kate woke up the next morning, William was already out of bed. Realizing it was Sunday today, she turned over and closed her eyes again, but at that moment the door opened en William entered. He was carrying a breakfast tray and a stuffed animal, a small brown little bear.

‘’What is that?’’ Kate asked sleepily.

‘’Breakfast,’’ William said dead serious.

‘’Really?’’ Kate raised one eyebrow. ‘’I’ve never had stuffed animal for breakfast. Hope it tastes good.’’

‘’You sarcastic little shit,’’ William laughed. ‘’This is for you, honey.’’ He handed her the bear.

Kate didn’t understand. ‘’It’s 8 am. On Sunday.’’

‘’Yeah, so?’’

‘’How on earth do you get a stuffed animal at 8 am on a Sunday?’’

‘’Oh, that. Actually, I bought it weeks ago, just in case. That way I could give it to you when we found out we’ll be having a baby. It’s my present for you.’’

Kate smiled at him. ‘’You’re so thoughtful. Thank you, it’s beautiful.’’ She placed the bear on her nightstand and started eating breakfast. ‘’Doehavepwansday?’’ she asked William with her mouth full of scrambled eggs.

William looked at her befuddled. ‘’Excuse me?’’

Kate swallowed a gigantic mouth-full. ‘’Sorry. Do we have any plans for today?’’ she said again.

‘’Yeah, we are going down to London for a couple of days to check on the Kensington renovations, remember?’’

Kate nodded. ‘’We have to make plans for the nursery as well.’’

‘’Yeah, but if we mention that, then everyone will know we are having a baby. I think we have to get used to the idea ourselves before we tell the world. Besides, there are a couple of empty rooms anyway, in the apartment, for our future kids. The only thing we have to do is paint and that kind of stuff. No big renovations.’’

‘’So we don’t tell them yet.’’

‘’Right.’’ William nodded. ‘’I’m going to take a shower.’’ He stood up from the foot of Kate’s side of the bed and headed towards the bathroom door.

‘’I’ll have to finish breakfast. Will be joining you in a second.’’

William turned around and winked at Kate. They were going to celebrate they were pregnant.

That afternoon, they were back in London for a few days. Their apartment at Kensington Palace was being renovated and every now and then they would pop by to see the progress so far. The walls were all isolated again and the windows were replaced: it wouldn’t be freezing cold in the winter anymore. Today, the floors were being laid. William and Kate stood in the middle of what was going to be their living room.

‘’It is strange,’’ said Kate, ‘’that someday this will be our actual living room. Right now it is this mess of wood and paint.

William said nothing in response, but just stared out of the newly placed windows. Kate walked up to him.

‘’You okay?’’

‘’Yeah, just thinking.’’ William clearly had his mind somewhere else.

Kate left him to his own thoughts and walked back to their temporary London home, Nottingham Cottage. It was on the same grounds as Kensington Palace, so they could use to the idea living there. On the kitchen table were lying a couple of brochures about paint and curtains. They still had to choose the colours for all the walls, from the entrance hall to the bathroom. Kate made herself a cup of tea and started to browse through the pamphlets. It was a dream come true for her: decorate her very own house. She had a couple of specific ideas about how the final product would look like. She wanted warm colours for the walls and furniture, but the latter had to have a modern look as well. She wasn’t a big fan of the traditional royal furniture, but neither was William. Kate looked up when she heard him enter.

‘’Where have you been? Did you speak with the builders about painting the whole place?’’ Kate asked.

William didn’t even look at her, but marched right on, placing his feet on the stairs with much more force than necessary, making the whole place ringing with the sound.

Kate was stunned with amazement. She had no idea what was going on with William. She was about to go after him and ask him what was wrong, when the door opened for the second time.

‘’Leave it, Kate, I got it.’’ Harry appeared.

Now Kate was even more confused. Harry knew what was going on but she didn’t?

‘’How do you know –‘’ she started.

‘’He called me a couple of minutes ago. Wanted to speak to me about an urgent matter, so here I am. I saw him marching on the grounds, so I followed. I’ll go upstairs and talk to him.’’ He kissed Kate on the cheek and made his way upstairs.

Kate started to feel insecure. Something was clearly the matter with William, otherwise he wouldn’t have felt the need to call his brother. Could it be about the baby? Maybe he was feeling a little overwhelmed now this was really happening. But even then, Kate didn’t get it. They both really wanted a family and just yesterday evening they had agreed not to tell anyone yet. And now William had told Harry? Kate felt the anger rise up in her body. She wanted to stay calm, though, not wanting to cause her unborn child any discomfort. A high blood pressure wasn’t healthy. But after half an hour she couldn’t wait any longer and climbed the stairs as well. She could hear Harry and William talk through the bedroom door. William clearly sounded upset. Kate softly knocked on the door and entered.

Harry immediately got the message and left.

‘’Honey, what’s the matter?’’ Kate sat down next to her husband.

William sighed. After a moment of silence, he said, ‘’It’s all a bit much for me at the moment.’’

‘’What, with the fact that I’m pregnant? Because I thought you wanted that as much as I did and now, the day after we find out, you –‘’

‘’No, honey, please don’t worry about that,’’ William interrupted her. ‘’Is that what you were thinking? Poor baby, you must think me a lousy husband.’’ He pulled Kate into an embrace.

‘’Then what is the matter?’’

William took a deep breath and started speaking. ‘’I don’t know. Everything. When I was standing in our future living room, it just hit me. That this is going to be our future home next summer. That I will have to give up my job as a search and rescue pilot. That we won’t live at Anglesey anymore. That our child doesn’t get the chance to grow up at that wonderful place, where we have lived so happily. And just when I thought I could handle all of that, that it was planned all along, I realized we’re going to live in the place where my mother was the most unhappy in her whole life. That’s why I run out of the place.’’

Kate was silent. She hadn’t seen this coming at all. Softly, she stroked his hand. ‘’I don’t think you are a lousy husband,’’ she said in a whisper. ‘’I just wished you’d come to me instead of Harry. We could’ve talked about it.’’

‘’I didn’t want you to worry about me. It is my job to take care of you, not to upset you, especially the next nine months.’’

‘’Well, I was upset anyway, by the way you stormed by me and then Harry appeared, who seemed to know exactly what was going on.’’

William looked at her. ‘’I’m sorry. But Harry is the only one who knows what it feels like to be in that place and remember our mother. Normally, I’m not this emotional about it. Must’ve been the recent circumstances.’’ Finally, he managed a smile. ‘’Talking to Harry really helped.’’ He placed his hand on Kate’s stomach. ‘’Feeling anything today?’’

Kate grinned. ‘’You really think a couple of hours make that much of a difference. Yeah, I felt the baby kick this morning.’’

William’s eyen went wide. Kate laughed. ‘’Of course not, you idiot. The baby is as big as a peanut or something.’’

‘’I know. I didn’t know what I was thinking. Must be the excitement. We should go and see our gynaecologist. He should know what we need to do and tell us when the due date is.’’

Kate smiled at him, glad he was cheerful again. ‘’Yeah, we should.’’

A few days later, Kate and William walked back from the private clinic of the Queen’s gynaecologist to their car. They were going back to Anglesey. Kate had wrapped her scarf around her head to protect herself from the cold November wind. When they were both in the car, William turned the radiator up, so they could get warm again. They smiled at each other like over excited teenagers. Everything had been perfectly okay with both Kate and the baby. It was too soon for an ultrasound yet, they still had to wait a couple weeks for that. The doctor had calculated Kate was around 4 weeks pregnant now, so her due date would be around the third week of July next year.

William started the engine. ‘’I’m so incredibly happy everything is alright!’’

‘’Me too,’’ said Kate. ‘’I’m a little afraid about that morning sickness, though.’’

Dr. Setchell had explained the next few weeks could be hard for her. She was likely to be very tired and could need sleep during the day. The classical morning sickness was one of his warnings too, but this should pass after a while, just as the tiredness. Her body had to get used to being pregnant and needed time to adapt. They would come back when it was time for their twelve weeks ultrasound.

William waved this concern away. ‘’You don’t have to be afraid for anything. Your body is strong and healthy, so I don’t think it would be that much of a strain. Sure you can experience some discomfort because of it, but I doubt it will last for a long time.’’ He patted her knee gently, while he kept his eyes on the road.

Kate let out a sigh.

‘’You worried?’’ William asked.

‘’Naah, not really. I mean, maybe. I don’t know.’’

William smiled. ‘’You have mixed feelings.’’

‘’Yeah. Does that make me a terrible person?’’

‘’Of course not. I read in the books this might happen.’’

Kate relaxed again. ‘’Oh, okay.’’ She leaned back into her car seat. ‘’But – wait a minute – what are you talking – what books?’’

William grinned.

‘’William!’’

‘’Pregnancy books,’’ he replied matter-of-factly.

‘’WHAT?’’ Kate cried out. ‘’When have you -? I’ve never seen a pregnancy book lying around!’’

‘’I haven’t been reading them at home,’’ William chuckled, ‘’but at work.’’

Kate just stared at him.

He continued talking. ‘’I wanted to know what kind of changes you go through mentally, as a woman. I wanted to be prepared and help you as much as I can, when such a thing happens.’’

Kate still didn’t reply; her mouth was slightly hanging open.

William took his eyes off the road to see her reaction.

‘’You know, you’re not very attractive making that face.’’

‘’I don’t care! You just walked into a bookshop and asked ‘’Hey, do you have any pregnancy books?’’ Everyone would’ve recognized you and known we wanted to get a baby!’’

‘’Relax, of course not.’’ William stopped for a red light, a nice convenience for he could now look at Kate properly. ‘’I ordered them from Amazon. Used a name from a colleague and had them delivered to the work place. Nobody even knows.’’

‘’You manage to surprise me every time,’’ Kate said finally.

‘’Well, you did a hell of a job a telling me about your pregnancy. That reminds me, we still have to tape the pictures onto the fridge.’’

‘’Hey, don’t change the subject! What did these books of yours say about me having mixed feelings?’’ Kate asked apprehensively.

William chuckled. ‘’Well, your hormones are getting quite a shock from being pregnant, although it may not feel that way immediately.’’

Kate looked at him in amazement. Remembering things verbatim from a book was never his strong suit. The fact that he could do it now, must mean he found this very important. Kate fell in love with him even more.

But William kept talking, not noticing the struggle of Kate’s emotions.

‘’Like I said, your body is engaged in a heavy struggle of feelings. Your head knows you have to be feeling very happy and elevated because you are pregnant, it’s the kind of thing every woman always wanted to be. But you feel guilty, because now it is finally happening, you don’t feel as happy and free of spirit as you always thought how it would be when you found out you’re having a kid. This feeling is oppressed by all the extra hormones your body is making at the moment, leaving you feeling confused. And the fact that you don’t know exactly how you feel this moment, makes you even more confused, guilty even that you’re not rejoicing every second of your life now.’’

Kate was silent. William looked at her. ‘’I’m not making this up, you know. It’s there, in all the four books I bought.’’

But Kate was just processing what William had just told her. ‘’When will this feeling pass?’’ she asked finally. ‘’Am I able to enjoy my pregnancy like I always imagined?’’

‘’Of course, you are.’’ William said. ‘’When your body is used to all the extra hormones it is making, it sets the balance back all on its own. This can take a couple of weeks, but it’ll be fine. These hormones cause the morning sickness in fact, as well.’’

He talked on for a while, but Kate didn’t really listen. She was set at ease now. She had in fact been feeling confused the last few days, but was glad there was a normal explanation for it.

She smiled at William. ‘’Thank you,’’ she said simply. They drove back home in silence, but lost in their own happy thoughts.


	4. Chapter 4

The next couple of weeks passed without much happening. They were back at Anglesey, the place where they were the happiest. William was working most of the time, so Kate was alone by herself, but she didn’t mind this at all. She had settled into a nice routine. Dr. Setchell had been right: she was indeed feeling very tired. She slept until late in the morning and then walked a couple of miles with Lupo after making herself breakfast. She was eating even healthier than before, very aware of the fact that she was feeding her unborn child as well and walking Lupo helped her to stay fit and active. The morning sickness wasn’t a problem yet: she hadn’t felt any discomfort whatsoever, apart from the tiredness.   
All this contributed to a very relaxed pregnancy so far. She was around seven weeks along now and she couldn’t wait for her twelve week ultrasound: then they would see their child for the first time. Kate smiled at the thought of this. She patted Lupo’s back.

‘’That’s right, boy. In a little while, there will be a baby living in this house as well.’’ 

Lupo stared at her with his big brown eyes and wagged his tail. Kate laughed at him. She and William had a couple of decisions to take. They would not live in Anglesey much longer once the baby was born. William would quit his job to take on more royal engagements and their home would be Kensington Palace. The problem was that their apartment there didn’t yet have a nursery or any furniture for infants. That’s why Kate was frantically browsing the internet to get some ideas of how the nursery would look like. Lupo placed his head in her lap and Kate scratched his ears absent-mindedly. 

That night, William came home early. When they sat down for dinner, Kate told him what she had been doing all day. 

‘’I browsed the internet today,’’ she brought up the topic. ‘’To get some ideas for our nursery.’’

William looked up from his plate. ‘’Found anything interesting?’’

‘’No, not yet. I don’t know what I want exactly and I wanted to discuss the topic with you first.’’

‘’Well, I haven’t thought about it in detail yet, but we can discuss that now.’’ He smiled at his wife.

Kate looked surprised. ‘’You already have any ideas?’’

‘’Like I said, nothing specific. Just about what things we have to buy, the necessary stuff, like a car seat, a crib, that kind of things. What about you?’’

‘’I thought more about how the nursery would look like, what colours I like and so on. What do you think about that?’’ 

‘’I don’t know,’’ William replied. ‘’What do you want?’’

‘’Well, I don’t want the nursery to be bright blue or pink. I want natural, neutral colours which will give the room a warm atmosphere.’’

William smiled at Kate.

‘’What?” she asked.

‘’Nothing. This is what I love about you. You don’t think about the colours themselves, but about the impression they will give in the room, what they represent. That’s wonderful, it’s far more important than nitpicking about the colours as they are.’’

Kate blushed a little because of William’s words. 

‘’Hey, that’s nothing to be ashamed of. It’s great. I don’t want a blue or pink room either. What if we have another child and we have to redo the whole nursery?’’

Kate looked at him in shock. ‘’Another child? Shall we wait for this one first?’’

‘’Of course,’’ grinned William. ‘’It was just a matter of speech.’’

‘’Yeah, right.’’ Kate rolled her eyes. ‘’So you want a neutral coloured room as well?’’

‘’Yes,’’ William nodded. ‘’And I have been thinking, do we want to know which sex the baby is going to be?’’

‘’Could be useful,’’ Kate said. ‘’But it is a really nice surprise if we wait and see.’’

‘’I agree. And it is a precaution as well. In that case, neither of us or our family can by accident spill the beans and give away the gender. In that case the world can keep guessing.’’

‘’Hmmm, I like that argument even better,’’ Kate laughed. ‘’That’s a thing we can keep for ourselves, then, in this pregnancy. As soon as the world finds out I’m having a baby, they will go back crap crazy.’’ 

William caressed her hand. Kate was used to publicity and paparazzi a very long time now, longer than William wanted, but when it came down to private matters like this, she was very protective about her privacy. It was one of the reasons they had kept their engagement a secret for almost a month. Kate wanted to enjoy that time just with him, not with the rest of the world.

Kate continued speaking. ‘’But I know they have to find out sometime, though. When will we release a press release?’’

‘’As late as possible,’’ William replied. ‘’It is a custom to do so after the twelve-week check-up, but if we don’t have to, I propose we don’t. Only if the media snaps pictures of us leaving the clinic, our you have to cancel an engagement because of it. I mean, they assume you’re pregnant all the time, so they keep writing about it anyway.’’  
‘’That’s true,’’ Kate acknowledged. ‘’I want to tell my family, though, after the first ultrasound.’’

‘’Of course!’’ William cried out. ‘’That was what we agreed, right? Now, where were we on those colours?’’

‘’Oh, I’ve made a selection on the laptop. You wait right here, I’ll go get it.’’

William cleared the table so they could place the laptop on it and get a good look on Kate’s selection. 

‘’Hey, I like that one!’’ William pointed at a soft green colour. ‘’And I think white is too clinical. It gives the feeling of a dentist waiting room.’’

Kate laughed. ‘’I thought the same thing, but I included it because I thought you might like it. Glad you don’t though.’’

‘’The green colour gives you the feeling like you’re outside in beautiful spring weather.’’ William looked intently at the screen.

‘’I think we have a winner,’’ Kate smiled.

‘’I think we do,’’ William agreed. ‘’What about the furniture and stuff? Clothes, for example.’’

‘’I don’t know,’’ Kate said. ‘’I find it difficult to browse for that on the internet. I’d rather see it myself in a store, but that’s impossible. And clothes are tricky if we don’t know what the sex is going to be.’’

‘’Well, we don’t have to buy three years worth of clothing, but just some things for the first few months. Just neutral colours, soft and cuddly warm blankets, that sort of thing.’’

Kate hummed in approval. ‘’But I still like to see it for real, not just on a computer screen.’’

‘’Yeah, but we can’t just walk in a store like that, everyone will know.’’

‘’I know.’’ Kate replied, ‘’but still.’’

William patted her back. ‘’I know. Let’s go to sleep. We don’t have to make all the decisions right now.’’

Kate yawned and followed him upstairs.

The topic about baby supplies wasn’t brought up the following days, until an evening on which they watched the news together. When the name of the weather man appeared, Kate said:

‘’That’s a nice name! Did you see it?’’

William woke up with a start; he had a habit of falling asleep while watching the news. ‘’What? Sorry, I must have dozed off again. What did you say?’’

‘’The name.’’ Kate pointed at the screen, but the weather man was already replaced for some Christmas jingles. 

William looked at her incomprehensibly. 

‘’The name of the guy forecasting the weather was Nathan. I really like that name.’’ She looked at William expectantly.

He still didn’t understand.

‘’For the baby!’’ Kate said impatiently, frustrated William was so slow on catching up. 

‘’Ooh..’’ he said vaguely, ‘’but maybe it’s a girl.’’

‘’Yeah, I’ve been thinking about that!’’ Kate really got enthusiastic now. ‘’What do you think of Ava or Lily? Emma, maybe, I like that one as well. Or – why do you keep looking at me like that?’’

William had a horrified expression on his face, while Kate was spitting out baby names.

‘’William, what’s the matter?’’

‘’Kate, are you serious? You can’t just choose a name like that. There is an unofficial protocol. We can’t just name the baby whatever we like. We’ll have to name it after a former monarch. It’ll probably be something like George or David. And for a girl Victoria or Elizabeth. I thought you knew that.’’ 

Kate was silent for a moment. ‘’Yeah, but I thought you would want a modern name as well,’’ she said tentatively. ‘’I mean, we can break this tradition, right?’’

‘’Well, we can’t,’’ William said shortly. 

‘’But, maybe you have just think about –‘’

‘’I said, we can’t! Why don’t you just get that!’’ William yelled. 

Kate couldn’t believe he was talking like this to her. She turned around and marched out of the living room. 

William sank back into the cushions with a heavy sigh. The last thing he wanted to do was having a fight with his pregnant wife. 

\-----   
Kate was lying on her bed, crying. This was the second time the two of them were in a middle of a fight because of the whole pregnancy thing. She really had hoped William might change his mind over the name giving process, but it looked like she was wrong. Of course she knew their child had to have a traditional name, but as they already had broken a few traditions, maybe this one could be broken as well. Kate had dreamed of naming her child since she was a little girl, and now the time had actually gone, it was out of her control. Just like all the other things she had dreamed of: her wedding, where they would live, the majority of their holidays, Christmas celebrations, a career of her own. She had given up all that. She didn’t mind or regret this, because she had married the love of her life. The only thing she had expected was that this love of her life had understood she wanted a little bit of her own back. But apparently, he didn’t. And why on earth would he yell at her like that? Did he blame her for saying what was on her mind?   
Kate couldn’t figure all this out. Eventually, she cried herself to sleep, exhausted from all the emotions. How was it only just three days ago they had picked the colour for the nursery in complete harmony? William didn’t come up all night.   
The next day, Kate was still lying in her bed by herself. When she came downstairs, there was a note taped to the fridge. 

I’m at work.

That was it. No ‘’love’’ or ‘’see you tonight’’. Nothing. Kate didn’t know what to do anymore. She wanted to call her mother and ask for advice, but that would mean she had to tell why they were fighting. She was still loyal to her promise of keeping her mouth shut. Kate was insecure the whole day. Had her reaction been an effect of her pregnancy hormones? Was she too hard on William? But then again, she was being perfectly reasonable until he started yelling. She didn’t know what to think anymore. She watched television all day like a zombie and even let a protection officer walk Lupo. Not a good choice, now she was feeling guilty about that as well. 

That night, when William came home, he sat next to Kate on the couch. She didn’t look at him. 

‘’Kate, come on, we have to talk about this. I want to talk about this,’’ William tried.

‘’About what? You disagreeing immediately with me before you heard the whole story or yelling at me?’’ Kate snapped. 

William sighed. ‘’Okay. You want to know why I lost it yesterday? Why I reacted the way I did? Because the only thing you can talk about these days is the pregnancy, the nursery and everything it beholds. We don’t have any normal conversation anymore like we used to. I miss that. I don’t want you to become that person, that mother, who can only talk about her kids and nothing else. There. You have it.’’

Kate finally looked at William. He looked like shit. He was pale and had dark circles under his eyes. His hear was messy and he looked just as exhausted as Kate was feeling. Fighting did neither of them any good. 

‘’You know why I only talk about that?’’ Kate said in a soft voice, ‘’because it is the only part where my opinion actually matters. Do you realize this is every girl’s dream? Decorating the nursery, picking out clothes, thinking about names?’’

‘’I do,’’ William admitted grudgingly, ‘’but I never thought you were like that. I know you feel there is more in the world than having a kid. You are a strong, smart woman. I know you are.’’

‘’Yeah, but I can’t use that, now, can I?’’ Kate was feeling angry again. ‘’I can’t have a proper job, and all the other childhood dreams are taken away from me!’’ Tears were welling up in her eyes. 

When William noticed Kate was crying, he reached out his hand, but thought she didn’t allow him. He pulled back again. ‘’What are you talking about, honey? What childhood dreams?’’

‘’Just – just all of them.’’ At this point, Kate was actually sobbing. ‘’Planning the wedding. Choosing a house to live in. Picking out a name for the baby myself! Seeing my child grow up and develop into someone he wants to be, not someone society made him.’’

William didn’t know what to say. He knew Kate had trouble coping with royal protocol every now and then, but she had always managed to give it her own twist. Were these the pregnancy hormones talking? He now realized he had handled the situation yesterday all wrong. Kate had probably not been herself. He should have known that Kate wasn’t herself this time. He sat closer to her and put his arm around her shoulder.

‘’It’s going to be okay,’’ he whispered. ‘’We’ll find a name we both love, I’m sure of that. And about his or her time growing up, we have a lot to say about that. We can pick the school, sports he or she will play, everything. And I’m going to make sure our children won’t be hunted down by the press. They can and will grow up in peace.’’ 

Kate placed her head on his shoulder, finally defeated. She started crying again. 

‘’Why are you crying now?’’ William asked a little insecure.

‘’I don’t know,’’ Kate replied. ‘’I think the hormones have finally kicked in. That’s probably what caused my reaction yesterday.’’

‘’Yeah, figured that one out,’’ William said.

Kate could feel he was smiling. She lifted her head to look at him. 

William kissed the top of her head. ‘’It’s going to be okay, I promise.’’

Kate smiled at him. ‘’Now, where were we on those names?’’

Glad that Kate was willing to keep up a normal conversation, William said ‘’Well, like I said, it has to be a name of a former monarch.’’  
‘’Do you want to name him after someone?’’ Kate asked.

‘’I’d really like to call him George, after Gran’s father. She has so much respect for him and always looked up to him. Georges have made fine kings in the past.’’

‘’George. George.’’ Kate tasted the sound of the name on her lips. ‘’Can we call him Georgie when he’s little?’’

‘’Of course,’’ William smiled.

‘’But I don’t want him to have four or five names like you and Charles.’’

William chuckled. ‘’No, that is a bit much, indeed. Maybe just three then.’’

‘’That I can get on board with,’’ agreed Kate. 

‘’So we already agree on George, then?’’ William was surprised Kate was on the same page as him so soon.

‘’I guess –‘’ she said. ‘’Are there any other options? David, Louis, Philip, maybe?’’

‘’There have never been kings with that name.’’

‘’How do you know?’’

William smiled. ‘’I know my family tree. Well, actually, there has been a king Louis, but he was a French usurper, somewhere in the thirteenth century.’’

‘’And what about Edward?’’ Kate asked. ‘’Oh no, that’s not a good idea, your Uncle’s named Edward.’’

‘’That,’’ William agreed, ‘’and the last King Edward gave up the throne to my great-grandfather to marry an American divorced woman.’’

Kate chuckled. ‘’Not the best idea then. I think we should go with George.’’

William kissed her. ‘’You see, when the hormones don’t control you, we are still on the same page.’’ 

Kate smiled gratefully at him. ‘’I’m glad we are. You want to discuss girls’ names as well? I like Charlotte a lot, but I don’t think that’s appropriate for a first name, Queen wise.’’

‘’We could make that the second or third name, then. I think we have to call her either Victoria or Elizabeth.’’

‘’There is already a Victoria of Sweden,’’ Kate said. 

‘’True, but we don’t have to consider that. If we want to name her Victoria, we will. Or do you like Elizabeth better?’’

‘’Well, considering the fact that we will most likely shorten the name to Vicky or Lizzie, I like Lizzie more. It has a sweet, soft sound.’’

‘’That were my thoughts as well,’’ William said. ‘’What about Anne to complete the set? Elizabeth Anne Charlotte.’’

‘’Or Elizabeth Charlotte Anne. But, we don’t have to decide right now. Do you want a boy named after your grand-mother too?’’

‘’Yeah, I do. I have such a huge respect for her. George Alexander. Then we only have to come up with a third name.’’

‘’And we do have another seven months for that. Although I like Louis,’’ Kate added with a wink. She always teased him with his last name.

‘’Oh, by the way, I have to work tomorrow really early, so I can’t join you on your London trip. I’ll be there tomorrow night, okay? Then we have two more days to catch up with the Kensington progression.’’

‘’Oh, alright. I don’t mind driving by myself,’’ Kate answered.

‘’No, I called Harry. He’s picking you up.’’

Kate looked confused. ‘’Why? He has to get up really early to be here around 10 o’clock. I can too drive by myself.’’

‘’I thought you might like the company. Harry’s really looking forward to this, hanging out with you for the day.’’

Fortunately for William, Kate didn’t notice he was trying to talk him out of this weird situation. Of course Kate could drive by herself, but that would ruin it all.

‘’Fine,’’ she agreed. ‘’It is fun, of course. We haven’t spoken in a while.’’

William could breathe freely again, now Kate had agreed with his plan. 

\-------

The car drive with Harry was in fact very much fun. Her brother-in-law had a talent for telling stories and Kate cried from laughter not just once. It was nice to have a chance of really catching up again. The last time she had seen Harry was when William had made that little scene at Nottingham Cottage. She found it really difficult not to tell him she and William were expecting their first child. They had that agreement after all, but she was a bit sorry for Harry that he couldn’t be a part of the joy just yet. 

‘’Hey, where are you going?’’ 

Harry had missed the turn they were supposed to take to reach the Kensington Palace properties. 

‘’We’re not going to Clarence House, are we?’’ 

‘’No, we’re not,’’ Harry answered. 

Kate was confused. William hadn’t talked about some appointment, she would have remembered such a thing. 

‘’Well, tell me where we are going,’’ she demanded. 

‘’No, can’t do,’’ Harry replied cheerfully. ‘’Orders from the boss.’’

‘’The boss?’’ Kate asked. ‘’You mean William?’’

‘’Yup,’’ Harry nodded. ‘’Almost there.’’ 

They were in the middle of central London now, not far away from Sloane Square, driving in the direction of Buckingham Palace.

‘’We’re going to see your grandmother?’’

‘’Nope.’’ Harry shook his head. ‘’And stop asking; you’ll never guess it anyway.’’ He took another turn and suddenly hit the brakes. They were standing on Sloane Square indeed. 

‘’Get out,’’ Harry said.

‘’What, why?’’

‘’Dunno, this is as far as I’ve been told. Drop you off at Sloane Square.’’

‘’But –‘’ Kate only got more and more confused. She looked out of the window, but didn’t see William or somebody she recognized anywhere. 

Harry tapped impatiently on the steering wheel with his fingers. ‘’Haven’t got all day, you know.’’

Kate scowled at him. ‘’You’re just messing with me.’’

‘’True,’’ Harry agreed. ‘’But it’s fun. Like teasing my little sister.’’ 

Kate scowled again. She looked out of the window for the second time and now, she saw William standing a few feet away from the car, protection officers right behind him.

He caught her glance and beckoned she should come to him. Kate gave Harry one last bewildered look and got out of the car. 

‘’What is all this about?’’ she asked when she had caught up with him on the sidewalk. People were beginning to stare and point. 

‘’Quickly, in here.’’ William pushed her through a door then had been opened for them. When they were inside the building, the door closed again and the street noise faded away. 

‘’Were are we?’’ Kate asked. ‘’What are you even doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be at work?’’ She was firing questions at William at top speed. 

He only smiled. ‘’Honey, relax. I lied.’’

Kate eyes went wide.

‘’Oh, no, don’t worry. It was a lie worth lying for. That’s the hope, at least.’’

‘’Can you please tell me what’s going on?’’

‘’I don’t have to work today,’’ William started explaining. ‘’When you thought I left for work, I actually got here. In that way I arrived an hour before you did.’’

‘’But why –‘’ Kate started.

‘’We are in the Peter Jones store,’’ William continued. ‘’This store has one of the biggest baby departments in London. In that way you can see for yourself all the furniture and strollers and that kind of things. We can walk around all morning, without being bothered by anyone.’’

Kate faced went from complete bewilderment to such joy so faced that William couldn’t help but start laughing. 

‘’Why?’’ Was all she managed to bring out.

‘’Oh, I’ve had this idea for a while now,’’ William said. ‘’You wanted to see all these things in real life instead of a computer screen, so I pulled some strings here and there, and now the shop is ours, for a couple of hours.’’

‘’How did you manage that?’’ Kate asked.

William only smiled. ‘’Being a Prince has its privileges. I had them sign a contract about confidentiality, but I led them under the impression that we want to browse for the future. They have no idea you’re actually pregnant right now.’’

Kate smiled at him gratefully. ‘’You’re the best hubby ever.’’

‘’I hoped you might react that way. Shall we go? The baby department is on the second floor.’’  
He took Kate’s hand and led the way. 

It was like watching a child in a candy factory. Kate ran from one thing to the next, not knowing which one to pick or what one to investigate any further. William walked behind her and watched his wife with a big smile on his face. When Kate had walked past everything on display twice, she finally started to calm down. 

‘’What do you want to buy?’’ She asked William.

‘’Everything you want,’’ he replied. ‘’But I have to like it as well,’’ he added. 

‘’Of course,’’ Kate agreed. ‘’Do we already buy today, or I am suppose to just make up my mind and remember it?’’

‘’Well, we can buy everything today, but that’s not very convenient. It could take a while before our apartment is ready, and if we buy everything today we have all this stuff we can’t put away somewhere.’’

‘’True,’’ Kate mumbled.

‘’But,’’ he continued, ‘’we can pick out the things we like and ask them to keep them apart, so they don’t get sold by accident. In that case it won’t matter if anyone of us changes our mind, because we haven’t purchased anything.’’ He looked at Kate expectantly.

She kissed him, smiling. ‘’How come you are always so thoughtful?’’

‘’I’m just so very clever,’’ William joked. ‘’Come on, let’s check out those cribs.’’

Kate followed him to that corner of the store. ‘’I want something classy, but not too old-fashioned. It has to have a modern look as well.’’

‘’What about that one?’’ William pointed at one crib.

Kate walked up towards it. ‘’You know, this one looks just like one of the cribs I’d seen online. I loved it immediately, but wanted to see for myself.’’

‘’I know, I browsed your history.’’ 

Kate turned around to look at her husband. He just kept surprising her; it was becoming ridiculous. 

‘’William, really, you have to stop. It makes me feel like I’m not putting enough effort in for you.’’

‘’Don’t be stupid. You are carrying my child at the moment. After all my outbursts you have deserved to be spoiled a little. Now, look at that crib and tell me what you think.’’

Kate thought it was beautiful. It was a simple, broken white, wooden crib. It was elegant, but not too much. At the head of the crib, the bars were longer, so you could put up some curtains around it, to give the baby a secure feeling. The height of the mattress was adjustable, so their baby could sleep in it for a long time: when he or she got older, they could just lower the mattress so their kid wouldn’t fall out of the bed. 

‘’I love it,’’ she said. ‘’What do you think?’’

‘’Me too,’’ William answered. ‘’But I think it would be nice to paint it navy blue if it is a boy. It’s too white for my taste.’’

‘’And for a girl?’’

‘’For a girl it’s perfect,’’ William said beaming. 

William and Kate spent several more hours at the shop in Sloane Square. Kate had found a shortlist of everything they might need and they made sure to check off every single object. It was their first child and they wanted to do it right. If that meant they had way too many supplies, so be it. They’d rather have it that way than finding out something they needed at that moment was missing. 

They had picked out a crib, and a bath for washing the baby; a high chair, a play pen, pacifiers, bibs and a many, many things more. William even couldn’t resist buying toy rhinos and elephants. 

‘’You better hope it’s a boy,’’ Kate laughed. 

‘’Oh, my daughter will play with this,’’ William replied. ‘’Actually, I hope we have a girl.’’

‘’Why’s that?’’

‘’I dunno. I always dreamed of having a girl one day. I only have a brother and I really liked growing up with my female cousins.’’

Kate smiled. ‘’You sure you don’t want to find out beforehand, then?’’

‘’Maybe we have to reconsider that,’’ William winked.

\---------

After that morning in Peter Jones’s, Kate was feeling very tired. She went straight to Nottingham Cottage to have a nap, while William would go to Kensington Palace by himself to check on the work being done over there. Kate regretted this, but saw for herself coming along would not be a good idea. It was only the beginning of her pregnancy, she had to re-energize now, if she didn’t want to feel like this for the whole nine months. 

Only seven months left, she thought. The time is flying by. She turned over in her bed and fell asleep immediately. 

She woke a couple of hours later, and noticed William had come back. He was reading a book at his side of the bed. 

‘’Hey,’’ said Kate softly.

‘’Hi there.’’ William leaned over to give Kate a kiss. 

‘’How was it? Are they turning the place into a beautiful home?’’

‘’They are doing a great job, but it isn’t finished for many weeks to come. But, if everything goes according to the plan, it will be finished when our little one is born.’’

‘’That’s great,’’ Kate yawned. 

‘’You should go back to sleep,’’ William said. 

‘’No, no, if I do that, I can’t sleep tonight.’’

William laughed. ‘’You say that now, but I know you are going to fall back asleep the minute we are in the car back to Anglesey.’’

‘’I thought we were going back tomorrow,’’ Kate said confused.

‘’Well, yeah, that’s what I told you to make my plan more believable,’’ William grinned.

Kate looked severely disappointed.

‘’What’s the matter?’’ William asked.

‘’Pippa is coming here tomorrow; I was going to show her our apartment in progress. We haven’t spoken in real life since God knows how long. I was really looking forward to it.’’

‘’Oh, I didn’t know that. But we can stay, of course. I’ll borrow a clean set of shorts from Harry.’’

‘’You do know I am perfectly aware of the fact you’re just messing with me, don’t you? I know you always have some clean clothes here at Nott Cott.’’  
‘’There’s no fooling you,’’ William grinned. ‘’Come downstairs with me. I want to make dinner, but I don’t want to burn down the kitchen. That way, we really have to go back to Wales and you don’t get to see Pippa at all.’’

That was all the incentive Kate needed. She jumped out of bed and ran downstairs. At the bottom of the stairs she suddenly came to a halt, so that William, who followed her, almost bumped into her. 

‘’Hey, watch it!’’ 

Kate ignored him. ‘’Thank you for this amazing day,’’ she said. 

‘’Don’t thank me yet. I still have some cooking to do.’’ William pretended to look very worried.

‘’If only I could say I have faith in you,’’ Kate sighed in jest.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 3, part 1 

When William and Kate were back at Anglesey, things quickly settled to normal. William worked his shifts at the helicopter base and Kate was back home. The tiredness had passed for the most part, fortunately. Kate thought the morning sickness would soon kick in, because she was already feeling a bout of nausea every now and then. It felt like she was pregnant for ages, but she hadn’t still passed the twelve week phase and there was still no visible sign she had a person growing inside her. It was already the end of November, which meant it was already bitter cold in Wales. But Kate didn’t mind all this and pushed her grocery cart happily through the aisles of Waitrose, packed with Christmas items already. She loved this holiday and the whole built-up towards it. William always said she shouldn’t buy all those holiday treats so early in the season, but she didn’t care. She had always been a sweet-tooth and her pregnancy cravings seem to go in that way as well. Kate smiled. This would be the perfect excuse to stack up. She parked her shopping cart and tried to decide which cookies she should buy when suddenly her stomach twisted and some heartburn made its way up towards her throat. Kate gagged and tried to swallow it away. She swayed slightly on the spot as she did so. She tried taking a deep breath and walked back to her cart for some support. She leaned onto it and stared at the floor. Her head was spinning. She knew her body wanted to vomit, but she didn’t want to let it. She couldn’t throw up in the middle of the supermarket. She was glad she went first thing in the morning, so the place wasn’t crowded with stressed out mothers yet, who were in a hurry to do their grocery shopping, not wanting to be late at their kid’s soccer training. The effort of not throwing up made Kate sweat, although the store was cool. Wanting to get out of this place as quick as possible, Kate left her cart for what it was and made her way outside. Leaving her stuff like this wasn’t very polite – others had to clean up after her – but she didn’t care right now. With a few more steps, she reached her car, but her body finally decided this had been enough. Kate was just in time to hold her hair back, that had fallen down her face while she was looking for her keys in her bag. There was a terrible splashing noise coming from behind her Land Rover. Kate sat on the ground for a second, struggling to find the strength to stand up and drive home. She wasn’t going back in again but would order online for this one time. It was probably the thought and the sight of the cookies at the same time which had made her sick in the first place. William could order online. She would only think of dry crackers. Kate lifted herself onto the drivers’ seat and started the engine. When she looked in the side mirror she noticed how pale she was looking. Lack of nutrition, probably. Her stomach hadn’t endured very much the last few days. She could’ve seen this coming.   
When she opened the front door, Kate threw up once more, all over the carpet. ‘’Fuck,’’ she muttered. William was particularly attached to that rug. She threw her jacket over a chair and filled a glass with water. She managed to drink it halfway when her stomach grunted in a warning. Kate put down the glass. She felt weak and empty, now her stomach had turned itself upside down twice in less than fifteen minutes. She went upstairs to fetch a blanket and draped it all over her body. She looked like Superman, but she didn’t care. She needed her body to stop shivering and start getting warm. After she had made herself a weak cup of tea, she lied down on the couch, watching stupid day-time television. It wasn’t before long when her eyes fell shut.   
When William came home that night, Kate was still fast asleep on the couch. The blanket had shifted and was lying in the floor, with Lupo on top of it. William opened the door and immediately smelled a sour odour, coming from beneath him. He looked down and saw a light grey patch on the carpet in front of him. He frowned. What had happened here? If Kate spilled something, she always made sure she would clean it. He put his jacket away and entered the kitchen, where Kate’s coat was still flung over a chair. William eyes went from that to the glass at the counter, next to the sink. Kate must be sick to leave this mess around her. Quickly, he made his way to the living room, where he saw his wife peacefully sleeping on the couch, a bucket placed next to her. Lupo woke from William’s entering presence and ran towards him. William kneeled to stroke his soft black fur. 

‘’Hey, boy, what happened to your missus, huh? She sick?’’ He scratched Lupo’s ears. William placed the blanket carefully on Kate again. He took the cold cup of tea back to the kitchen, before he cleaned the hallway. When he had finished this, he heard some movement coming from the living room. He rushed back to his wife.

‘’Hi honey, how are you feeling?’’ 

Kate gave him a puzzled look. ‘’How long have you been home? What’s the time?’’ she tried to get up, but William softly put her back on the couch. 

‘’You stay here, let me do the work. I saw you were sick. I’m home for about twenty minutes. It is 11 pm.’’

‘’What? No. You’re kidding.’’

William showed her his phone. ‘’How long have you been asleep?’’

Kate blushed. ‘’Since 10 am this morning.’’

William’s eyes went wide. ‘’No shit. You’re feeling that lousy?’’

Kate nodded and tried to get up again. This time, William didn’t resist, which turned out for the better. Kate threw up again, right into the bucket.   
William stroked the hair out of her face and tried to soothe her. ‘’Come on, let me get you into bed. You’re shivering all over.’’

Kate let it be. 

This situation was soon becoming a routine, with Kate lying on the couch all day, vomiting every half hour, and William taking care of her. He even got some sick days at work, just to stay home with his wife. After a few days, Kate wasn’t leaving the bedroom anymore, too weak to stand up by herself. William had called their GP and the gynaecologist, but they both said morning sickness could be very heavy on the body. Kate’s symptoms weren’t alarming yet. And she’d probably have a cold, making things worse. William wasn’t at all satisfied with these answers, but he had more pressing things to deal with right now. Kate had developed a ghostlike colour in her face and could barely talk from the pain in her throat. William was more concerned than he cared to admit. He tried to stay positive for Kate’s sake. She couldn’t deal with a worried husband as well. 

‘’When things aren’t better in a day or two, were going to your parents,’’ he told Kate, when she was lying in bed for about a week. 

Kate only nodded. William sat in the chair, standing at the opposite side of the room. He’d rather lie down in bed with Kate, but he had quickly learned every single movement, however small, or a faint scent even, could make her sick again. Kate managed a weak smile. She sipped at the glass of water, but quickly put it away again. She knew she must keep drinking, facing dehydration with all the vomiting, but she couldn’t bring herself to do that. Throwing up was so painful right now, she’d do anything to avoid it. She was also feeling very low for not being able to walk Lupo or just go outside. She wasn’t made for lying in bed all day. 

‘’Tell me a story,’’ she said to William.

‘’What do you mean?’’

‘’Just a story. Anything. To break the boredom, please.’’

Of course William couldn’t resist. ‘’A real story? Or do you want me to make it up?’’

‘’I don’t mind. Whatever you feel comfortable telling me.’’ Kate closed her eyes and waited for William to start speaking. 

He thought for a second. What could he tell Kate that would made her mind less focused on how sick she was feeling? 

‘’Once upon a time,’’ he started and paused to think again. 

‘’So you going to tell a story about a prince, being a prince?’’ Kate asked. ‘’That’s so cheeky.’’

‘’You wanna hear this story or not?’’

‘’I’m sorry.’’

‘’Once upon a time,’’ William started again, ‘’there were two cute little princes, playing in the garden of Kensington Palace. One of them was a very naughty little boy, always creating havoc, never listening to his parents. His name was Harry. The other boy, the older one, was the most handsome of the two, a well-learned, well-behaved, boy. His name was William.’’

Kate laughed. ‘’You slimy bugger.’’

William continued his story in a normal way. 

\-----------

He and Harry were playing soccer in the garden, something their mother didn’t particularly approve of. Charles was very protective of all his flowers and plants, and didn’t like it if they were tramped because of his two rascal boys. But Diana let them be. They couldn’t play in the Kensington Gardens; they would be spotted immediately. She and Charles had made a little field for them to play in, where they could not ruin their precious garden. But she knew her two boys, they were so wild sometimes, you’d never know where the ball would land. She made herself comfortable in a lounge chair at their beautiful patio, from which she could see William and Harry play in the distance. Harry was getting really big. He had grown so much since he’d started school. He saw William less and less as a big brother and more as an equal, something William didn’t always liked. A sharp cry made Diana wake up from her slumbering.

‘’Mummy!’’ William was crying. 

Diana got up and ran towards her son.

‘’Wombat, what happened?’’ She saw the blood pouring over his face.

Harry stood quietly at the side of his brother, looking guilty. 

William was crying really loudly, his hands covering his face. Soon his shirt was covered in blood as well. 

Softly, Diana tried to pull his hands away so she could see the source of the bleeding. She guessed it was his nose, they always bled like crazy.

‘’Honey, let me see. Where does it hurt?’’ 

But William wouldn’t let her. Instead he started crying even harder. Diana picked him up and walked towards the house. Maybe William would calm down in her arms. Harry followed silently. Walking back with William in her arms was harder than she thought. He was already seven years old, so he was getting quite big. Her arms felt numb within seconds, but she wouldn’t let go of him. His sobs already started to lessen. 

‘’What happened here?’’ Charles had come outside as well, hearing the cries of his oldest son from his study. 

He took William from his wife’s arms and looked at his son. ‘’Wills, what happened?’’ 

But William buried himself in his father’s arms, still crying from the pain. 

Diana turned to Harry. ‘’Harry, honey, tell me.’’

‘’I didn’t do it on purpose,’’ was the first thing he said.

‘’Of course not, darling.’’

‘’The ball hit his face. I wanted to shoot it at him, but it hit his face.’’ Harry looked shocked, causing his big brother that much pain and blood. 

‘’Don’t worry,’’ Charles reassured him. ‘’We know you didn’t do it on purpose.’’ He stroked Harry’s hair before turning back to William. He took the little, blood covered hands from his oldest son away from his face and looked at him. Diana did the same.

‘’I don’t think it’s broken,’’ she said to Charles. ‘’There would be a crook in his nose if it was.’’

Charles nodded. ‘’You’re right.’’ When he touched Willam’s nose with a finger tip to feel for any fractures, just to be sure, William howled from the pain again. 

‘’We should go to the hospital for some x-rays. I don’t trust this.’’

Diana nodded. ‘’You go. I’ll stay here with Harry. I don’t want him to go along if it isn’t necessary.’’ 

‘’True.’’ Charles kissed his wife goodbye and carried William to his car.

William held his father’s hand the whole time in the hospital. Luckily, his nose was only badly bruised, but not broken. 

‘’You’ve been a very brave boy.’’ He kissed his son and helped him get in the car again. The doctor had taped his nose, so it wouldn’t shift out of position. 

‘’Dad?’’ William asked.

‘’Yeah?’’

‘’What would the doctors have done if my nose was broken?’’ 

Charles knew William was trying to be brave, but he heard his voice tremble. ‘’Nothing,’’ he answered. The mind of his young son didn’t have to process the procedure of putting his nose straight again, which was for sure a very painful experience. ‘’A person’s nose can’t be wrapped in a cast, so they would done the same as they did to you, tape it and hope it won’t shift in your sleep. Not because it is bad for your nose, but it would hurt very much. That’s why you shouldn’t fiddle with it.’’

William quickly put his hand in his pocket, looking guilty. He always fidgeted, with everything. He once almost caused a knife to land in his foot because he couldn’t stop playing with it. Diana had gone hysteric, but this shock didn’t stop him from the nasty habit. He tried to put his hands in his pockets as much as he could, but even this wasn’t always proper behaviour. When he accompanied his parents on an engagement, it was rude to do that. Right now, though, it didn’t matter. ‘’We almost home?’’ he asked.

‘’Almost,’’ replied Charles. ‘’Can’t be more than ten minutes.’’

‘’Good. I want to punish Harry.’’

‘’What?’’ Charles looked at his oldest. ‘’Why?’’

‘’He broke my nose.’’

‘’Don’t exaggerate.’’ Charles sounded strict.

‘’He almost broke my nose.’’

‘’William, stop that now. He didn’t do it on purpose. And he was very shocked this happened. Don’t do or say anything to him that will make him feel worse than he already is. He is very sorry.’’

‘’Alright.’’

Charles smiled to himself. At his age, William was very bossy over his younger brother. This would pass, he thought, when Harry grew up a bit and would more understand William’s world. 

When they got home, Harry came running towards them, anxious to see if his brother was okay. He gave William an awkward hug. 

‘’It’s okay, Harry, you didn’t do it on purpose,’’ William said in his most formal voice, making sure his Dad noticed all this ‘’look at me all mature’’ behaviour. 

Hearing all the commotion downstairs, Diana came running as well. She carefully kissed William’s cheek, but he winced none the less.

‘’He has been very brave,’’ Charles said.

‘’I wouldn’t have expected otherwise,’’ spoke Diana. ‘’I’m so proud of you, little Wombat. I bought you something for your bravery. Let’s go upstairs.’’

On the kitchen table stood a large box, wrapped in Christmas leftovers wrapping papers. Harry was already old enough not to believe in Santa Claus anymore. William tore the paper apart and his mouth fell open. 

‘’Wow!’’ 

The box contained a wide selection of wood-cut miniature animals, which William was collecting since a few months. He was planning on turning his room in a kind of bush, wanting to paint the walls green and putting up those animals everywhere where there was space. He and Harry were wild about Africa, that was where all those cool creatures lived. 

Not noticing the jealous look on Harry’s face, William scooped the box in his arms and set off for his room. ‘’Come on, Harry, let’s play!’’ 

Harry looked at his mother. ‘’It’s okay, hon, you go and play with your brother. I’m sure he’s not mad at you anymore.’’ So he followed William. 

When he entered his brother’s bedroom, William was already unpacking all the separate animals and placing them somewhere in his room. He wanted to build some animal park and this box gave him the perfect incentive. The rhino, elephant, lion, they were all there. He didn’t know where his mother had found this so soon, but he absolutely loved it. His enthusiasm was infective: Harry was getting addicted to everything Africa related as well, but he focused more on the people. Harry always had been more a people person than William. He found them interesting, how they behaved, how they looked. For hours he could look at pictures of people from all over the world. He had created a sort of sixth sense for guessing where they came from. No wonder he excelled in geography at school. Maybe William’s passion had subconsciously something to do with his future of becoming King. A live of meeting new people lay ahead of him, maybe that’s way he was putting all his energy in animals right now. Or maybe he just looked more like his Dad and Harry more like his Mum. William loved following his Dad all around the garden, listening to him tell stories about the exotic plants he had growing in the greenhouses and the countries where they originate, where Harry had grown a habit of interrogating his Mum about all the people she’d met one day or another. This difference between the two brothers didn’t mean Harry wasn’t jealous of William for receiving such a beautiful present, which – when you thought about it – was Harry’s doing. If he hadn’t kicked that ball so hard at his brother, nothing would’ve happened. Would he get such a nice present for letting William slap him in the face and really break his nose? But of course, his brother wouldn’t agree with a plan like this. He wouldn’t hurt a fly. 

The next morning, Diana sat already down for breakfast when her two boys entered. Luckily, she saw the tape on William’s nose hadn’t shifted during the night, saving her another hospital trip. Yesterday, she had noticed the hurt look in Harry’s eyes when William had opened his box of animals. She decided he had kept himself together in a really brave way and should be rewarded as well. After all, it was hard for her eight-year-old to almost break his brother’s nose. She imagined it must be quite a shock for him. 

‘’What about we’re going to a movie this afternoon?’’ she proposed.

Harry’s eyes went wide. He loved movies, especially in a cinema, with the whole big screen and the dark lights. 

‘’Can I pick the movie?’’ he asked.

‘’Of course,’’ Diana smiled. 

‘’And can we eat popcorn?’’ he added? 

‘’Sure.’’

‘’And drink Coca Cola?’’ Harry had recently discovered this soda and absolutely loved it.

‘’Of course, darling. It is our day out.’’

Harry jumped in the air and ran to hug his Mum. Diana kissed the top of his head, smiling about his excitement. 

Diana placed Harry firmly back on his own two feet. ‘’Come on, eat your cereal now.’’ 

The movie that afternoon turned out to be an absolute success. William curled up to his mother while Harry sat on her lap, thumb placed in his mouth. This was a habit she and Charles tried to kick out of him, but on occasions like this, she pretended she didn’t notice, because these were the moments she treasured most. Although William was in pain, he didn’t show, but she could notice the way he kept close to her and she loved having their kids close to her. She had to enjoy every moment; in a flash they would be off to university, army training, having a family of themselves. With a smile, Diana busted herself on daydreaming – again. She couldn’t help it though, to think of the future that lay ahead of her two boys. When she thought about that, always the private, family moments came to mind. She would have to worry enough about William becoming the Prince of Wales and, later on, King of the United Kingdom. So instead, she focused on the future of their boys as a person, not as an institution. 

Harry placed a kiss on her cheek. ‘’Come on, Mummy, the movie is over!’’ 

Diana looked to her side, but William had already disappeared. He didn’t want to be seen by the other people, so he’d always left the second the credits appeared on screen. She was right. When she and Harry got the car waiting for them, unseen as well by the others, William was already inside. Apparently, waiting for his Mum made him start fidgeting again, so his nose-tape had come off, showing a nice blue and reddish colour on his nose and both cheekbones. 

‘’Wills! Why did you do that? You were supposed to let them stay on for at least a week. You haven’t lasted 24 hours.’’

William only shrugged. ‘’They itched.’’

Diana sighed. ‘’When you’re in pain again, tell me so at once; we’ll go back to the hospital.’’

‘’No need,’’ William replied. ‘’I like the colour.’’

Diana tried not to laugh, not wanting to undermine her authority, but had trouble keeping her face straight. 

‘’Come with me,’’ William said to Harry, when they were home again. He led the way to the basement, a spot where they wouldn’t be disturbed by anyone. 

‘’What? Why?’’ Harry asked, not understanding what William was up to. 

But William didn’t reply and kept walking ahead of his brother. He paused when they’d reached the kitchen. They weren’t allowed to be in the basement, because – for one thing – Diana once spent hours looking for her boys when they were down there and didn’t want that nerve racking experience again and – what was more important – there was lying all kind of stuff that wasn’t meant for two young boys to be played with. The door of the kitchen stood ajar. Their main cook, Billy, had his back turned towards the stove, but his assistant was walking around. When he opened the double-door refrigerator, William took his chances and pulled Harry with him as he run by the kitchen, opened the door to the basement and descended the stairs. 

When he reached the bottom of the stairwell he flicked on the lights like he did this everyday and turned around to face Harry, who had a nonplussed look on his face. 

‘’What are you doing?’’ he whispered. ‘’We’re not allowed here.’’

‘’Oh, don’t worry,’’ William replied. ‘’I come here all the time. Take a look at this.’’

He led Harry to a box that stood dustily in a corner. ‘’Open it.’’

Harry carefully stepped towards the box and did as requested. He sneezed from all the dust flying around. He stuck his hand in it and felt smooth paper touching his fingertips. He grabbed some of them and took his arm back out. In his hand were dozens of photographs from all sorts of people, little notes scrabbled on the back of them. 

‘’What is this?’’

‘’Thank you cards sent to Mum or Dad, whenever they went on a visit somewhere. Thought you might like it.’’ 

‘’But how did you find it?’’ Harry asked.

‘’I come here a lot when they are fighting again,’’ William said, suddenly looking saddened. ‘’But anyway, don’t tell them we’ve found this. They might take it away, they don’t like it when we are going through all of their stuff.’’

Harry giggled. ‘’Of course not! This is really cool!’’ He nudged William on the shoulder. ‘’Thanks!’’ 

William only nodded and turned to walk away. ‘’Don’t forget to turn off the lights when you come up again.’’

But Harry didn’t listen, too much engrossed with this little dusty box. He had forgotten all about William’s box of animals.

\--------

William was done telling the story. He hadn’t thought about that basement for a long time, wanting to block it out of his memory. It was his haven when his parents were yelling at each other again. He wasn’t sure why he chose this story to tell Kate, which made him remember all the things he wished to forget. At the same time, he felt relieved. He had told a piece of him, a hurting piece of him, to someone who couldn’t really response. He had noticed halfway through his narrating that Kate had fallen asleep. But he kept on telling anyway. He felt lighter somehow, which was strange because he hadn’t known he was carrying this load with him. Next time they were going south to check on the progress of their apartment, he would definitely take a look in that basement again. Maybe call Harry first and then go in together. He wondered if that box with photographs was still lying in that dark corner. He glanced at Kate. She was still sleeping. William started to get really worried about her. The person lying in their bed was nothing like the girl he had married. Kate was pale, almost to a ghostly colour, and had lost a lot of weight on her already very slim figure, so she wasn’t looking healthy anymore. If he didn’t know any better, he would think she was suffering from bulimia. He sighed and started to clean up a bit, trying to make as less noise as possible lest Kate would wake up again.   
This was going on for far too long for William’s liking. He had googled information about morning sickness, but the things Kate got through were more serious than that. It wasn’t a cold or the ‘flu either, her symptoms didn’t match any of those, so it had to be related in some way to her pregnancy. William was getting scared for her health and the baby’s. He already told Kate that if she wasn’t improving they would go to Bucklebury, so Kate could be taken care of by her mother. Not that he wasn’t able to, but Kate always completely relaxed when she was at her parents’ house. There she didn’t have the urge to keep her household up and running, but was okay with just lying on the couch all day. What he hadn’t told Kate was that he already spoke a few times with Carole on the phone. She was anxious for her daughter, just as he was, and texted him a few times a day to request an update. William reached for his phone, but instead opening Whatsapp, he dialed Carole’s number. Enough was enough.

‘’Carole?’’ he asked, when she answered her phone.

‘’Tell me.’’

‘’If things don’t improve over night, we’re coming down first thing tomorrow.’’

‘’Alright. Does Kate know this?’’

‘’No. She’s sleeping now and I’d like if she did that for another while. I’ll tell her when she wakes up.’’

‘’Did she drink anything today?’’

‘’Barely.’’ William sighed. ‘’I fear dehydration. Her lips are broken and her throat is sour. She isn’t rational at the moment. Instead of drinking, she chooses the comfort of not vomiting. She doesn’t think it through.’’

‘’You can’t blame her for that.’’ Carole pointed out.

‘’I’m not,’’ William replied, ‘’I just wished it wasn’t.’’

‘’We all do.’’ Carole reassured him. ‘’Believe me, this was not how I imagined finding out me and Mike were going to be grandparents. Good luck tonight and see you tomorrow.’’

‘’See you.’’ William hung up the phone. It was true, what Carole had said. He and Kate hadn’t discussed how they would break the news to her parents yet, but when her situation rapidly deteriorated, William had felt compelled to inform Carole about the bad health of her oldest daughter. And, of course, Carole had asked what the cause was, so he had told her.   
He walked to the bathroom to splash some water in his face. Constant taking care of Kate had taken its toll on him, too. He hadn’t showered for some days and had dark circles under his eyes from lack of sleep. He didn’t want to sleep, wanting to be awake and alert when something happened to Kate. When he dried his face with a towel, he heard some stumbling in the room next door. He rushed back and was just in time to catch Kate from fainting. He scooped her up in his arms – she’d really lost weight – and carried her downstairs. 

‘’Why would you try to stand up at all?’’ he asked. 

Kate shrugged. ‘’I’m sick of lying in bed all the time.’’

‘’How are you feeling?’’

‘’Same.’’

‘’Same or worse?’’

‘’Worse.’’

‘’I’m going to get you some water. You just lie on the couch and pet Lupo, okay?’’ William softly kissed her cheek.   
Kate grunted. ‘’I don’t want any water.’’

‘’You have to. You can’t be not drinking all the time.’’

‘’I’m fine, really.’’

‘’Try telling yourself that.’’ William shook his head and went to the kitchen. She could be so stubborn sometimes. As he filled a clean glass with water, he heard his wife throw up again, this time not on the carpet. A few days ago, he placed buckets by every piece of furniture in the house, just in case. It proved effective. 

‘’Maybe I’m not fine,’’ Kate mumbled when he placed the water next to her. 

William sat down on the couch as well, looking at his wife. ‘’I know. We can’t go on like this. Tomorrow morning, I’ll drive us down to Bucklebury. You’re Mum went through three pregnancies; she knows more about this than I do. I can take care of you, with your Mum, together. Lupo can play with the other dogs. It makes sense. And I’m going to call dr. Setchell again, because this isn’t normal. No arguing, alright?’’

As a response, Kate took the glass of water and sipped it carefully.

‘’That’s my girl,’’ William said.


	6. Chapter 6

‘’I’m going to kill that man!’’ William stormed outside. Nobody was following him, but that didn’t matter. They could hear him shouting anyway. 

‘’GOD! Who does he think he is! All this power is getting to him. I hate him!’’ 

Lupo was running around him, barking his head off, probably inspired by the actions of his master. When William reached the end of the Middleton’s property he saw the fence was too high to climb over. He kicked a rock out of pure frustration; he didn’t even feel his now aching foot. 

‘’William.’’ James had joined him. 

William pretended he didn’t hear him, but couldn’t keep that up for too long: there was no place he could go. 

‘’William.’’ James put a hand on his shoulder. ‘’Sit down.’’ It wasn’t a question.

William sat down next to his brother in law and waited for him to speak, but James kept his mouth shut as well. He wanted to give William the time he needed before he could speak in a calm fashion again. This took several minutes. 

‘’I am –‘’ William’s voice broke. He took a deep breath and tried again. ‘’I’m just so worried.’’

James looked up and saw there were tears in his eyes. He sighed. ‘’I know. Me too.’’

William swallowed and continued speaking, just for the sake of it, because James already knew everything. Dr. Setchell had just left. He and Kate were at Bucklebury for two days now. It had been eight days since Kate had started throwing up and William didn’t know what else to do but call him. Just like first time, he had reassured them Kate must be suffering from a cold and some morning sickness. He even dared to complain about her composure, too slim for his liking, which had – according to him – caused her pale colour and loss of weight. He warned she had to eat much more, or the baby would be in danger: if she lost more weight, her heart couldn’t keep up caring for the both of them. 

When he and Kate arrived here, Carole had been shocked to see her daughter in such a state. She and William had tried everything, but her condition was just not improving. She was this shallow, empty person, lying on bed all day long. She knew, of course she did, that she had to keep drinking, had to feed her baby, but vomiting made that impossible. William already bought a month’s supply of straws, which had helped a little. At least she could sip the water: it was easier on her throat that way. 

‘’Look, Will, you’re trying everything you can, alright?’’ James patted him on the back. William kept staring in the space. 

‘’I’ve never seen Mum working so hard to make someone feeling better. I know you are blaming yourself, but that isn’t fair.’’

‘’I’m her husband. Her husband. I promised to take care of her in sickness and in health. This is the first time she is sick, really sick – not just some stupid cold. And here I am, sitting outside, because I’m running out of ways to take care of my pregnant wife. My beautiful pregnant Catherine, who is carrying my baby, for God’s sake! If I can’t take care of Kate, how will I ever be a good Dad?’’ He was yelling again. He looked at James, desperate. ‘’What do I do? Tell me what to do, please,’’ he rasped. He looked like shit. 

James sighed. ‘’If she is not feeling any better the next 24 hours – so that would be tomorrow morning – you take her to the hospital. This is getting out of your reach, man.’’ 

‘’I guess you’re right.’’

James nodded. ‘’She needs professional care. I don’t see her improving any time soon, not if she can’t drink or eat anything. She is better off in a hospital, really.’’

‘’I know, it just feels like –‘’

‘’Failing.’’

‘’Yeah.’’

‘’Don’t think about it that way,’’ James said.

‘’But what will the press say? They’ll hate me because I can’t take care of my wife.’’

Something in James snapped. ‘’What? That’s your concern right now?’’ He looked at William, furious.

‘’Your baby could be dying!’’ he bellowed. ‘’I don’t believe you! Who the hell are you, really? You’re wife is incredibly sick, you’re baby deteriorating every hour, but no, Prince William only thinks about the press.’’

‘’Don’t call me that,’’ William spat back.

‘’THEN ACT LIKE A FUCKING HUMAN BEING!’’ James was furious. ‘’Get your priorities straight, right now.’’

William stared at him in horror. He and James have never fought before.

‘’You’re taking her to the hospital tomorrow, or I will make sure the press will come to know how poorly a job you did taking care of your wife.’’ James voice was deadly calm. 

William couldn’t fight back the tears anymore. They were streaming down his face. Now James was the one who looked shocked. 

‘’Shit. William, I am –‘’

‘’No, you’re right. You are absolutely right. I have no idea what I must have been thinking just now. Putting the opinion of the press before Kate’s health. I loathe myself.’’ He sat down again. Like James, he had jumped up when they had started yelling. James did the same.

William put his face in his hands. ‘’God, everything is just so messed up right now I can’t even think clearly. Thanks.’’

James grinned. ‘’Anytime.’’ 

‘’So,’’ William continued. ‘’You really think going to the hospital is the best way to go?’’

James face fell again. ‘’I do. This is getting dangerous. I don’t know what that gynecologist of you is thinking, but this really isn’t right. I’ve seen pregnant women: they’re happy, they glow. Kate is depressed, ill and weak. I’m scared for her.’’

‘’We all are,’’ William sighed. 

‘’Will!’’ Carole came running. 

William jumped up, immediately ready for what had happened. ‘’What?’’

‘’She’s thrown up again.’’

‘’Alright, I’m coming. Shouldn’t have left her in the first place.’’

‘’No, that’s not it.’’ Carole’s voice was shaking. 

‘’Then what?’’

‘’There was blood, this time.’’

William’s eyes went wide. ‘’I’m calling an ambulance right now. This has gotten out of hand.’’

He turned to James. ‘’Will you help Kate, please? I’m going to call for help.’’

James ran after his mother, back to the house.

‘’I need an ambulance right now! My pregnant wife is severely ill and vomiting blood.’’

‘’To what destination?’’ The woman’s voice was cool. 

‘’Bucklebury, the Middleton’s estate.’’

‘’On who’s name?’’

‘’His Royal Highness Prince William of Wales, Duke of Cambridge.’’ William used his full Royal name, hoping the ambulance would come quicker. 

‘’I’m sorry. We don’t do pranks here. Waste of time. You’re really disrespectful, sir.’’

‘’I’m not kidding!’’

‘’Sir, we really have better things to do.’’

‘’What do I need you to do to believe me, huh? Need to phone my grandmother the Queen? My father, the Prince of Wales?’’

‘’Sir –‘’

‘’LISTEN!’’

‘’-‘’

‘’I really am Prince William, okay? My wife is pregnant and I think severely dehydrated and vomiting blood. Can you please send an ambulance?’’

‘’Of course. But if this turns out to be a joke after all, we’ll send you a huge bill.’’

‘’Fine! How long before you can get here?’’

‘’To what hospital would you like to go?’’

‘’King Edward VII’s. They have the best neonatal unit.’’

‘’That will take another two hours, before you get there. Will another hospital do? Something a little closer?’’

‘’No. I will drive her myself.’’

William hung up the phone, shaking. He took a deep breath and decided what to do. He had to stay calm. He and James would pack everything they needed; made sure Kate was as comfortable as possible in their car and drive to that hospital. The doctors would take over once they got there.

James walked outside again, an agitated expression on his face. ‘’You go see Kate. We’ll take care of everything that needs to be done, packing your bags and sorts. How long before the ambulance arrives?’’

‘’I’m driving her myself, the ambulance can’t get here fast enough. I want to take her to King Edward’s.’’

James nodded. They’re famous for their neonatal care.’’

‘’That’s why.’’

‘’Now go! Kate needs you.’’

William ran into the house, taking the stairs by three steps at a time. ‘’Katie.’’ He sat down on the bed and took her in his arms. She looked so very miserable, having a desperate look on her face. She kept her eyes closed, but William could feel her relaxing in his embrace. He gently kissed her forehead.

‘’It’s going to be okay, darling. I’m taking you to the hospital now.’’

A tear rolled down Kate’s cheek. ‘’Can’t that wait?’’ she asked, shakily.

‘’Babykins, you’re vomiting blood, according to your Mum. James almost attacked me because he is so worried about you. We all are.’’ 

Kate started crying properly. ‘’I hate hospitals.’’ 

‘’I know.’’ He did know. Back in university, Kate had broken her left ankle during a game of hockey. It wasn’t even a regular game for her team, but she had volunteered to fill in for someone who had fallen ill. Another girl lost control of her stick while aiming for the ball and had hit Kate’s ankle instead. It had been their first year of university and he and Kate had just met. It was lucky he had been present at the game too. Because he lived in the same dorm, he knew more details about Kate than anyone else present: she was playing for a different team after all. It had been the only time he had ever called an ambulance. Using his pseudonym, William Jones, getting to the hospital wasn’t a problem. He didn’t actually accompany her to the hospital, not wanting to create a media-fuss. They would all assume Kate was his girlfriend, because why would he otherwise ride along in the ambulance? At this moment, William felt deep regret at this decision: it was out of protection for Kate he didn’t come along, but he did put the fear of the press first, where it should have been his friend. His cheeks flushed at the thought of it.   
Kate had been in the hospital for a week. It was a complex fracture and she needed surgery to set it right again. Because there had just been a major boat crash, the emergency room was constantly packed with more pressing patients, so her surgery got postponed a few times. Her parents had of course visited her during this week, but the whole experience hadn’t been comfortable at all. After surgery she was required to stay for a few extra days, the doctors wanting to be sure her ankle would heal properly. When Kate had finally come back, she was in a bad mood for most of the time. This was when she and William had bonded most during their freshmen year. She was forced to stay home and he didn’t like going out just yet. He was just at campus for some weeks and didn’t feel at ease mingling with the other students. He stayed home with Kate and tried helping her as much as he could. It was around this time she discovered he couldn’t cook at all. Because she couldn’t walk yet and fix whatever he’d burned, those evenings had often resulted in calling in for fast food and eating with their plates on the couch, in front of the television. William thought back to this three particularly happy weeks he’d spent with Kate. He looked at her, sleeping in his arms. He shifted, so he could rest his back against the cushions, putting a blanket over his wife.   
He hadn’t really known Kate before that hockey-accident, but it definitely brought them closer together. They had always exchanged a friendly hello when passing each other in the hallways or meeting up during classes, but never had they spent whole evenings together. At first, Kate really had to get used to William being around her all the time, carrying her from one place to another. There were so many thresholds in their dorm, using walking sticks didn’t help. Kate feared she might trip and had to go back to that damned hospital.  
\--------

‘’Whoa, watch your back there, Kate!’’ William rushed forward, and kept his dorm mate from falling to the ground. He made sure Kate was sitting safely on the couch before letting go of her. It was then he noticed how heavily she was blushing. 

‘’Sorry,’’ he mumbled awkwardly, ‘’not my intention to embarrass you.’’

Kate shook her head. ‘’No, that’s not it. I’m just not used to having a prince around me all the time.’’ 

‘’All the time? It’s just been a few days, me making sure you eat and get the notes from the lectures. Shame your friends don’t attend the same courses, though.’’

‘’Why? To take all of the work out of your hands?’’

‘’No –‘’ William started blushing now as well. ‘’No, I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just, they have more classes than we do, so they can’t come and visit you all that much. You must be bored with me by this time.’’

Kate laughed. ‘’You know that’s not true. I have to stop seeing you as a prince, you’re just my friend.’’

William sat down next to her. ‘’Thank you. Now, what are we gonna watch tonight?’’

Kate looked at him expectantly.

William pretended to sigh heavily. 

‘’You sure?’’

‘’Yup.’’ Kate’s eyes were glowing with joy.

‘’Again, really?’’

‘’Yup.’’

‘’I hate you.’’ 

‘’I know you do. Won’t change my mind, though.’’

William got up and put The princess diaries in the DVD player. ‘’You just seen this at the cinema. And last night. And the night before.’’

‘’Girl gotta keep dreaming about one day becoming a princess, Will.’’

‘’Right.’’

\--------

Her dreams had come true, his princess was lying in his arms. William carefully touched Kate's cheek to make sure she was not too cold. This gesture of his woke her up. She seemed surprised she was lying in his arms.

''What happened?'' Kate asked confused.

William smiled. ''I was hugging you, comforting you, because you had thrown up again, and this time there was some blood. It didn't take long for you to fall asleep in my arms.''

''I threw up blood?''

''You don't remember?''

Kate shook her head. ''I remember throwing up, but I didn't look at it.''

''Well, we all were really scared. I even called an ambulance for you.''

Kate's eyes went wide. ''There's an ambulance coming?''

''No, not anymore. I said I would drive you myself to the hospital. In fact, James is packing our bags right now, so we could leave any minute.''

''No!'' Kate shook her head fervently.

''Katie, -'' William began, wanting to persuade her this was the right thing to do, despite her fear of hospitals.

''No! And I feel a bit better already, finally being able to sleep peacefully for some time.''

William raised one eyebrow. ''Don't you dare try to fool me. I don't want to be responsible for you being in danger because of your health.''

Kate shook her head for the second time. ''I'm being serious. I do feel much better. I don't know why, but I really do.''

''So if I bring you some food right now, you would actually eat some?'' William asked, the sarcasm dripping from his voice. He couldn't believe Kate. She would only say this to make him and the rest of her family stop worrying about her so they wouldn't take her to the hospital. William really hoped Kate had more sense than this, endangering herself and their still unborn child. When he voiced this concern to her, she said defensively, ''Well, bring me some soup and a glass of water and I'll prove it to you.''

To prove her point, Kate jerked up the blankets again, covering herself all the way up to her chin. She clasped her hands around her knees, sitting straight up in bed and gave William her most stubborn look.

''Alright,'' he sighed. ''But the second you start vomiting again, I'm gonna bring you to London and I don't want any arguing.'' He tried looking as strict as Kate was looking stubborn, which resulted in a staring contest Kate eventually won. William made his way out of their bedroom, walking down the stairs with more force than necessary.

''Love you!'' Kate yelled after him. She smiled to herself and then sighed as well. She really did feel better, although she knew William wouldn't believe her. She was certain he thought back to their university days where she had spent that most awful week in the hospital, waiting for surgery on her ankle. The nausea had left her body - for now at least - and she really did want to eat and drink something again. She did damn well know she hadn't been acting responsible the last few days, not feeding her child and she wanted to repair the damage. Some of her old lively spirit dribbled back into her body; she could feel herself becoming more cheerful and optimistic. And just because she finally felt a bit better, she wanted to make sure she stayed that way. So trying to eat was her only option, really. All of a sudden, she heard angry voices coming from the hallway downstairs. 

William had walked down the stairs, to meet a very anxious James standing next to the front door, holding a suitcase in each hand. 

‘’We’ll take care of Lupo. I couldn’t find everything, but the essentials are all packed. We’ll be in the car right behind you.’’

‘’No, you don’t have to anymore.’’

James mouth dropped. ‘’What?’’ He frowned. ‘’I don’t get it.’’

‘’Kate says there is no need any more to rush of to London.’’

‘’William! What did I just say to you in the garden?’’ James had started yelling again. ‘’Don’t you listen at all?!’’ 

‘’James, please, calm down.’’ William tried, using his most soothing voice. 

‘’NO, I FUCKING WON’T! My sister threw up blood! BLOOD! I want you to finally start taking care of her and she needs a hospital!’’ James cheeks were flushed. 

Carole opened the door, wanting to know why her son was screaming at the top of his lungs. ‘’What on earth is going on? Kate needs rest and you decide to scream like your life is depending on it?’’

‘’NOT MINE, KATIE’S!’’ James started again. 

‘’SHUT UP!’’ William cried back, furious at his brother in law. ‘’Just, shut the hell up, alright? I don’t know why you think I’m not taking care of Kate, but I am! I am working my ass off all the time to make sure she is comfortable –‘’

‘’She is not, you idiot! She is throwing up all the time!’’ 

‘’James, please –‘’ Carole tried to calm both of them down, but William continued talking.

‘’And also the week before I brought us down here! I was at her side 24/7, every day and every night. The only time I wasn’t in the same room, was when I lost it this morning and I didn’t want my sick wife to watch me break down! I can’t break down in front of her! So,’’ William’s voice was dropping down to just a whisper now, ‘’if you think I don’t take enough care of her, you are really, really wrong. Are we clear?’’ He stared at James. 

James looked shocked, just when William had done this morning, when James was the one frightening him. James swallowed hard and blinked away some tears. His mother tried to hug him, but he shrugged her off. ‘’Sorry, Will.’’ He looked William in the eye, so he could see the sincerity of his apology.

William nodded. ‘’I know. We are all scared as hell. But Kate has slept for some time, in my arms actually, so she was a lot warmer than when she is just covered by her blankets. She looked more fresh than she has for five days and even asked for some soup. I am on my way to make her some, now, actually.’’

James opened his mouth, but William beat him to it. ‘’Yeah, I told her. When it all goes wrong again, I am taking her to the hospital straight away.’’

‘’Thanks.’’ 

‘’What on earth was that all about?’’ Kate asked, when William had come back up, carrying a tray with some soup and a glass of tepid water. 

‘’Nothing,’’ William replied airily.

‘’Will, come on. I could hear every word from up here. You had a break down?’’ 

‘’I didn’t want you to know about that. It was nothing, don’t worry.’’

‘’But you worry about me.’’

‘’Of course.’’ William managed a weak smile. 

‘’Honey, come here.’’ 

William climbed on the bed and sat next to his wife. She leaned over and gave him a lingering kiss.

‘’Hmm, haven’t had those in a while,’’ William murmured, smiling against Kate’s lips. 

Kate smiled back and took the cup of soup from the tray. 

‘’Small sips,’’ William warned. ‘’Just to be careful. I really hope you can keep it down.’’

Kate winked at him and took a gulp. It didn’t take her more than 5 minutes to finish the soup. ‘’I think I’m going to skip the water. My stomach is full and I don’t want to push it.’’

William looked proudly at his wife, but the tone of his voice was concerned. ‘’Do drink it within the next hour, if you can.’’

‘’I’m going to try like hell.’’ 

‘’Do you want to get back to sleep?’’ William was already prepared to let Kate sleep in his arms again. If that was what it took for her to feel better, he was happy to oblige. 

‘’No, I don’t, actually. I’ve been lying in bed like forever. I want to see the outside world again. I want to cuddle Lupo. I miss him.’’ 

William smiled. Kate was already a mother for their two year old cocker spaniel, and he was only a dog. He didn’t say this out loud. If Kate heard him talk about Lupo as ‘only a dog’ there was hell to pay for him. He chuckled. 

‘’What’s the matter?’’ 

‘’Nothing, I thought back to something.’’ William straightened one pillow and then again looked at Kate. ‘’Do you want me to bring Lupo upstairs? I don’t think your Mum would mind; all she wants is seeing to happy.’’

But instead of agreeing with having Lupo in their bed, Kate shook her head. 

‘’Why not?’’ William asked.

‘’I want to go outside with him. See him running through all the autumn leaves and having a good time. I want to throw sticks for him again, he loves that.’

William gave her a look filled with empathy. ‘’Darling,’’ he began, speaking with a soft, endearing voice, ‘’I know you want all those things, but I doubt it is the sensible thing to do.’’ He embraced Kate and kissed her beautiful brown hair, now all in disarray from too much lying in bed. 

Kate looked up to him. ‘’Please? I haven’t been outside for so long. I’ll wear anything you brought me here and hold on to you the whole time.’’ Her voice was so suppliant William had no other choice than to give in. 

‘’But only on the conditions you just mentioned. And if anyone asks or raises their eyebrows, you’re the one explaining to them this was your idea.’’ 

‘’Yeah, yeah, keep your pants on.’’ Kate was already busy rummaging in the closet, searching for sweaters, scarves and hats. 

William could only smile at this insult: it meant Kate was feeling a bit better. 

A couple of minutes later, Kate looked like she lived on the North Pole. William chuckled. ‘’You are a sweet little Eskimo, you know that?’’ 

Kate gave him an icy look. ‘’You said this was the only way for me to get outside the house, so don’t you dare make fun of me.’’

William kissed her. ‘’I’ll stop. Let’s go.’’ He offered her his hand but she walked out all by herself, already on the stairs when he hadn’t even left the room. ‘’I didn’t know this was a contest,’’ he yelled after her. But Kate already had sped past the hallway and was now making her way through the kitchen. She had hoped everybody would be sitting in the living room, but they were actually standing in the kitchen. Carole was busy preparing dinner and the rest kept her company and helped. James was cutting up vegetables, Michael was stirring some sort of sauce on the stove and Pippa was polishing her nails. They all looked up at once when the door opened, expecting to see William and get an update on her condition. 

‘’You’re not William,’’ her sister pointed out. 

‘’Well spotted,’’ Kate replied. 

‘’What are you even doing here?’’ James asked, being so surprised to see his sister out of bed he didn’t notice his knife was dangerously balancing on the edge of the table. It had fallen out of his hand the second the door opened. 

‘’I’m going to walk Lupo,’’ Kate said matter-of-factly. She turned to see whether William was ready to go, but he was still busy putting on his boots and jacket. 

‘’You are – what?’’ Michael was surprised.   
James had got up from his chair, banging the table as a result. The knife flew through the air and almost landed in his shoe. ‘’Fuck!’’

‘’James, language!’’ Carole warned. ‘’I don’t like swearing in the house.’’ 

Michael walked over to his daughter, wanting to inspect her from up close. His face was hovering before Kate’s, who couldn’t stifle a giggle. ‘’Dad, what on earth are you doing?’’ 

Michael straightened his back again. ‘’You are not fit enough to go out,’’ he declared. 

‘’Mike, your sauce! It’s burning!’’ Carole rushed to the stove to keep up the stirring. Michael turned and saw the sauce was already a lost cause. He tried to soothe his wife, who was now yelling at him. James was still cursing under his breath because he nearly missed the knife and Pippa was busy blowing on her nails to let the polish dry. Kate made use of this chaotic moment to sneak out the kitchen door, making her way to the garden. She then realized she had forgotten an essential element to her walking the dog. Lupo was still inside, as was his leash. She hoped William would take him with him. 

‘’Hey,’’ William appeared, Lupo happily walking next to him. ‘’What’s going on in the kitchen?’’ 

‘’Oh, the usual chaos. James let a knife fly, Dad burnt the sauce and Pippa was observing the whole thing. I think me going outside was the catalyst for that.’’

William nodded. He was far too long part of the Middleton family to be upset by situations like this one. He took the leash from Lupo’s collar. Kate squatted so she could hug her dog. He ran towards her, his tail wagging furiously. He had missed her, too.

‘’Hey there, boy.’’ Kate buried her face in the crook of his neck. ‘’I’ve missed you.’’

Lupo licked her face in reply. Kate got up again, looking around for sticks to throw. 

‘’Mike got rid of all the sticks in the front of the garden, we have to walk a bit to find some.’’

‘’Oh, that’s alright,’’ Kate said, setting off at a brisk pace. 

‘’Hey, hey! This was not the deal.’’ William hurried after her. ‘’Take it slow you, I don’t want you to have a setback because you do everything at a 100 % straight away. Take my arm.’’

Kate obliged quickly, still being a bit wobbly in the knees. She and William enjoyed a particularly happy thirty minutes in their garden, laughing at Lupo and each other. After a while, William noticed Kate was becoming paler again. She also leaned more heavily on his arm then before. When he suggested they would go inside again, Kate didn’t even protest. 

Kate bend over the undo the straps of her boots, when she suddenly felt dizzy again. Her head was spinning. William didn’t notice; he was busy taking off his own boots and putting away their coats. 

‘’Will,’’ Kate mumbled faintly. But William didn’t hear her. The dizziness got stronger. Kate couldn’t stand straight anymore. ‘’William,’’ she tried again, ‘’I don’t feel so good.’’ 

This time, William heard Kate mumbling behind his back. He was just in time to catch her from falling on the floor. ‘’I’m bringing you back to bed,’’ he said firmly. ‘’I never should have let you go outside. It was too exhausting.’’ He scooped Kate up in his arms and laid her down on the bed. He noticed the still filled glass of water on her nightstand and remembered she hadn’t drunk anything since she had finished the soup. ‘’I’m going to get you some new water. You relax here for a minute, okay?’’ 

Kate nodded and closed her eyes. The short walk had wore her out. 

William had just filled the glass again, still standing in the adjacent bathroom, when he heard the unmistakable noise of splattering and gurgling. He rushed back in to Kate, and held back her hair, in case she had to vomit again. He spoke softly to her, saying everything would be fine. When Kate turned to look at him he saw her eyes were filled with tears. ‘’I’m so miserable,’’ she said in between sobs. ‘’Being pregnant isn’t suppose to be like this.’’ 

William stroked her cheek. ‘’We are going to the hospital right now. They can treat you and make you better again. I promise you will enjoy this pregnancy when this ordeal is over. You are so strong, darling, you’ll make it through this. And I will be by your side the whole time.’’

Tears were streaming down Kate’s cheeks. She nodded. ‘’Alright,’’ William spoke soothingly. He took a warm and comfy jumper from the closet and put it over Kate’s head, helping her to stop the shivering. He once again took her in his arms and carried her downstairs. Carole happened to be standing in the hallway, rummaging for something in the cupboards. One look at William and Kate was all she needed to know. ‘’I’ll warn the others, you go ahead. James already put the bags in your car, Will.’’ She walked up to them and planted a kiss on Kate’s cheek. ‘’Be strong, sweetie, we will be right behind you. You don’t have to go through this on your own.’’ She patted William’s arm and walked away. 

William walked to their car and put Kate down on the back seat. He put a blanket over her so she could stay warm. ‘’Try to sleep a bit, honey. We will be in the hospital in less than an hour. I don’t care if I’m being caught speeding.’’ 

Kate nodded. At this point, she didn’t even care going to the hospital. She just wanted to get better. She thought she had only closed her eyes for a second, but when she opened them again, William was talking to one of the doctors. He had driven straight to the ambulance station, where doctors were standing at the ready all the time. She remembered being put on a gurney and wheeled inside. Then everything went black.


	7. Chapter 7

When Kate opened her eyes, she couldn’t make out anything around her. Everything was white. She was lying on a bed, in a hospital, but her bed was the only thing in the room. Kate hoisted herself up and placed both hands on her stomach, leaning back against the cushions. With a shock, she noticed her tiny bump was gone. She looked down and realized what she feared.   
Her child was gone. 

‘’Will!’’ she shrieked frantically. No response ever came. Kate got scared. Where was she? Where was everybody else? Thinking she needed to go look for them, she put away the blankets and got out of bed. She was wearing a hospital gown, but wanted her own clothes back. She had been wearing her pajamas, she remembered that much. After William had driven her to the hospital, she had fainted. To what nightmare had she woken up? She looked around for her clothes, but found nothing. She even checked under the bed, but even there all she could see was white. She spun around, wanting to escape from this place as quickly as possible. She suddenly saw a door. Had that door been there before? She didn’t know. Had her miscarriage affected her memory? She didn’t know. Kate made her way to the door, barefooted, and opened it. 

Light was streaming in to her eyes, blinding her on the spot. She blinked. And then again. Standing in the doorway, it took Kate a while to adjust to the light. Still, everything was white, but at least there were more things she could see. She had apparently opened a door to a corridor, the longest corridor in the world. So it seemed. Anxiously, Kate tried to see as far as she could. Every few seconds she had to close her eyes because of the light and it seemed the corridor looked different every time she opened them again. A few things remained the same, however. There were doors everywhere. Gurneys stood against the wall. Wheelchairs were driving past her, but nobody was sitting in them. 

‘’Maybe I am on a hill,’’ Kate thought. ‘’That must be the reason why those wheelchairs ride on their own accord.’’ She blinked again. When she opened her eyes , she saw she was standing on the top of the corridor. Indeed, that was why the wheelchairs behaved the way they did. She looked around for a wheelchair for herself, feeling weak and wobbly. But there was none. She let go of the handle of the door she was still clutching and began to make her way forward, into the long, white corridor. She used the wall for support. When she looked around to decide which way she should go, the door she had just opened the previous minute was gone. Or rather, she saw a lot of doors and couldn’t remember which led to her room. Kate took a deep breath and decided to just keep moving forward. William had to appear at some point. Thinking about him worried her. He had been by her side the last few days when she was sick all the time. And now she was in the hospital and he was nowhere to be seen. What was happening? How was it possible she didn’t see any doctors, any patients, any nurses? No signs hang on the walls, no elevators stood around the corner. Eventually, after what felt like she had been walking for hours, Kate saw a corner and thought she heard voices coming from that way. Eager to see a living person, she picked up the pace. 

But the corner never came. Instead, it looked further and further away. Panting and exhausted, Kate came to a halt. She sat down on the floor and cried. What was happening? She desperately wanted to speak to anyone, wanting to find out where she was and why. This wasn’t a normal hospital. If anything, it looked like a scene in a bad horror movie. One relief, though: no maniac was in sight. Yet. She searched her pockets, but remembered the gown didn’t have pockets. That meant no phone. Why was she wearing this thing, anyway? Those were only used for people who underwent surgery. Did she have surgery? She couldn’t remember. Surely, she would remember such a thing. But her baby was gone. Maybe she did have surgery, to take away her child. If she had surgery, she had been under narcotics. Could this all be her imagination? That would explain why William wasn’t here. He was sitting next to her bed in the real world, of course. He couldn’t be at two places at once. Why could she? Hadn’t she woken up yet from the anesthesia? Was she in a coma? Kate cried. She didn’t know. It was driving her crazy. She screamed at the top of her lungs, but still nobody came to help her. She took a deep breath for the umpteenth time, trying to calm herself and focus. She needed to wake up from this hell. In order to do so, she had to fight. She had to come back. She had to keep walking.   
She got to her feet again. Somehow, she felt stronger. The corridor was becoming less white, Kate could make out more colours. The wheelchairs had stopped moving at their own accord. She sighed of relief. Things were improving. She would make it back. Placing one foot in front of the other, Kate carefully tested whether her feet could carry her. After a wobbly start, she was making her way out. The corner she saw before was becoming closer. She could reach it! Steadying herself, not wanting to go at a run, Kate kept on walking. 

The corner led her to another corridor, at the end of which she saw a door leading to the outside world. Her first instinct was not to go there. There would be hundreds of photographers standing outside, all wanting to know what had happened, where her baby was, why William wasn’t at her side. But if she wanted to get out of this place, she had no choice. If pictures of her in a hospital gown was what it took to wake up, so be it. She pushed the last door open and stepped outside. She was shaking with fatigue. She had to lie down, she didn’t have the energy to keep standing up straight. She sat down on the sidewalk and closed her eyes. 

\-----

When Kate woke up again, it felt like she had slept for days. Actual days. She looked around and noticed the scenery had changed. She was no longer a ghost in that creepy hospital, but in fact standing in the middle of Trafalgar Square. Again, her first movement was placing her hands on her stomach. Kate gasped. She was fat! She moved her hands to her butt and thighs, but they felt slim as ever. She looked down and saw she was the possessor of a beautifully formed baby bump. She had no idea how this was possible. Her child was gone, right? She must have dreamed that whole hospital episode. She was awake again, clearly the anesthesia had worn off. She and William must have an engagement here, that was the only explanation. Maybe something to do with the National Portrait Gallery. Yeah, she had definitely been there before. But again, William was nowhere to be seen. Now she thought of it, it didn’t look like the people here were expecting a royal visit. No car, no security guards, no photographers. That was weird. She had expected the press outside the hospital, but they weren’t present there as well. Maybe all the press had become extinct. Kate laughed out loud. That was a good joke. She should tell William; he would find this funny. Suddenly, she became aware she was holding a purse. She opened it, to check whether she had brought a phone. Luckily, she did. Now she could finally phone William and ask where the hell he was. What was he thinking? She had had surgery, suffered from a miscarriage and now was pregnant again, but he was nowhere to be seen. 

Then it hit her. No press. No photographers. Everywhere she went the last ten years, the press was present. Just because she was dating William. Maybe they had broken up. That would explain everything. His absence, the lack of paparazzi. He couldn’t handle their miscarriage and had left her. But then again, who’s child was she carrying right now?   
All this confusion gave Kate a headache. What the hell was going on? She felt like she was no longer in control of her own life. She couldn’t recall any of the things that had apparently happened. She was all alone. But she couldn’t stay here all day. It was December, according to a newspaper that lay scattered at her feet. Was that hers? It was getting cold, she was getting cold. Her fingers already started to feel numb. She put her hands in her pockets and started walking, in the direction of the National Gallery. Because clearly, the National Portrait Gallery didn’t need her today. The entrance was free, so she could warm up there. She didn’t even know if she had some money. As she climbed the steps to the main entrance, a dove flew right before her face. She blinked. Instead of the Gallery, she entered Buckingham Palace. She felt relieved. This was a place she knew, where she was welcome. 

The colour had changed. Completely. It had gone from the white in the hospital, to grey in Trafalgar Square. And now everything was black. Not everything, of course. The furniture was the same, as were the colours of the walls and carpets. But the people. All dressed in black suits, having grave expressions on their. Then she noticed the hearse. Who had died? The flag was flying half-mast. So the Queen was present, but something terrible had happened. What was it? Cautiously, Kate entered. Immediately, a vacant face walked up to her. 

‘’Your Majesty, please follow me.’’

Kate was so happy someone finally spoke to her, she didn’t realize immediately that strange address. Your Majesty? Wasn’t she Your Royal Highness? If they spoke to her in that way, it could only mean one thing. William was King. A wave of relief washed through Kate. They hadn’t split up yet. He hadn’t left her. Her baby was his baby. She smiled at her companion, who gave her a weird look. You didn’t smile in case of death. Because that was what going on. If William was King, it meant the Queen and Charles were not with them anymore. Where was she going now? To the funeral service? She saw herself in a mirror, hanging on the wall. Was she wearing black when she was in Trafalgar Square? She couldn’t remember. Was amnesia a side effect of the drugs they had given her in the hospital before her surgery? 

Kate needed answers. Quickly. Her companion opened a door and she entered. The scene changed again. Of course, she should expect this by now. Her head was playing tricks with her, but now at least she knew what was going on. She was pregnant with her second child and William was King. That was the situation. No more games, please. This playing took its toll. She was beginning to feel exhausted. She saw a sofa in the corner of the room and decided to lie down for just a second. She made herself comfortable and closed her eyes. She could feel the atmosphere change, but she didn’t have the strength to open her eyes again. She had just closed them. Give her a break. But the smell was different, as was the temperature. In the Palace it had been warm, but this room was cool. It smelled clean, very clean. She didn’t recognize any of the odours but one. One was familiar. What was it? She shifted a bit, hoping to get closer to it. The odour shifted as well, coming closer when she moved a bit. She kept moving. Struggling. Fighting to wake up, to open her eyes. She could hear now as well. Machines beeped. People shuffled their feet. How many persons were even present? But she knew she was safe. The smell told her that. In fact, it was literally talking. Could that even be real? She tried to listen. 

‘’Shh, honey. It’s okay. You’re safe. I’m here.’’ 

Honey. That was what the odour told her. So it must be William. This was good. He had come, finally. She kept fighting her eyelids, wanting desperately to open them. She felt William’s hand on her own.

‘’It’s okay, sweetie. Take your time. I know you’ll get there. You’re strong.’’

It was definitely William. She recognized the voice as well. It was like her senses got back to work, one at a time. This time, she managed to open her eyes just for a second. She saw William’s face, drained from the concern and anxiety for her. She tried to tell him everything was fine, but her tongue didn’t work yet. Again he reassured her. 

‘’It’s okay. Go back to sleep now. I’ll stay here.’’ 

What could she do but comply? 

When Kate closed her eyes again, William sank back in his chair. Kate seemed disorientated, like she had had a very bad dream and didn’t know where she was. He watched her face closely and saw it became more relaxed after a couple of minutes. That was good. 

William was exhausted. His body finally let go, after spending days on end taking care of her, without taking a break. Now he had handed her over to the doctors, he felt how tired he really was. He had spent the whole night sitting next to Kate. Some of the nurses had tried to get him out of this room to another one, where he could sleep, but he had refused. He’d rather say with his wife. The evening and night had passed in one big blur. As soon as he drove up to the emergency entrance, everything happened really fast. He had quickly told a doctor what the situation was and they had sprung to action immediately. Kate was wheeled away from him to an examination room and he sat waiting in a different room. It hadn’t taken long, fortunately. After fifteen minutes, a doctor appeared, explaining the situation to him. 

‘’She is dehydrated,’’ he had said. ‘’We need to get some food and water in her, so we put her on a IV tube. She is weak, so we gave her something to help her sleep.’’ 

‘’Thank you,’’ William said. He noticed his hands were shaking. ‘’What now?’’ 

‘’We want to keep her here for a few days until she is stronger and the vomiting has passed. You have done the right thing, bringing her in.’’

‘’Is she – I mean – the child? How –‘’

‘’She is fine, as is your baby. He has never been in any danger,’’ the doctor reassured him.

William’s eyes went wide. ‘’He?’’

The doctor smiled. ‘’Matter of speaking. It’s too early to know the sex. Do you want to find out?’’

William shook his head. 

‘’Okay, then we will be careful not to tell you by accident.’’

‘’Can I see her now?’’ 

‘’Of course. She is still sleeping, though, and will be for a long time.’’

‘’That doesn’t matter. I want to be with her.’’ 

The doctor had led the way and William sat next to his wife. He was shocked at first, seeing her lying like that. There were tubes everywhere. She had one in her nose, mouth, arm and wrist. Before he could ask any questions, a nurse entered. 

‘’Your Royal Highness,’’ she spoke shyly.   
‘’Yes?’’ 

‘’I am your wife’s nurse the few days. My name is Rose. If there is anything wrong or if you have any questions, you could press that button over there, and I will come running. It’s my job to take care of her.’’

‘’Then please call me William,’’ he smiled, ‘’I guess we’re gonna see a lot of each other.’’

Embarrassed, Rose shuffled her feet, not daring to look him in the eyes. 

‘’What are all those tubes for?’’ William asked. 

‘’Oh, you don’t have to worry about those, sir. The one in her nose is actually just superficial, it doesn’t enter her nose. It helps her breath, for just in case. We had to act quickly; there was no time to look at her medical file thoroughly. It’s just a precaution, basically. Some people who suffer from apnea sometimes have trouble breathing after we gave them the drug. Chances are high she doesn’t need that one at all.’’

William nodded. ‘’And the one in her mouth?’’ 

‘’That one sprays water into her mouth; very low dosage. Just to keep her lips from parching. And her throat suffered from so much vomiting, it will help release the pain when she wakes up.’’ Rose pointed at Kate’s right arm. ‘’That’s the IV tube, she being fed through it. And the wrist one is for her heartbeat and blood pressure. It is a standard procedure when pregnant women are being brought to the hospital. It helps us monitor more quickly if something goes wrong.’’ 

William nodded again. He wasn’t entirely reassured, but felt some relief. It looked like the doctors weren’t take any risks with Kate and he liked that idea. 

‘’I’ll leave you now,’’ Rose said. ‘’Call me if you need anything. I am here for you as well, so if you’re hungry or want anything, please let me now.’’

William managed a weak smile. ‘’Thank you.’’ Rose left. 

William sat down in the chair that stood next to Kate’s bed. He softly stroked her hand. This was going to be a long night. When he had just made himself comfortable on that hard, wooden chair, his phone beeped. William groaned and tried to pull it out of his pocket. It was a text message from James, stating they were in the cafeteria. What should he do? More than one visitor wasn’t allowed; it could wake Kate. He was torn between wanting to give his in-laws an update on how Kate was doing and not wanting to leave her alone. He then noticed the red button, next to Kate’s bed. Rose could watch her for a while. He pressed. It didn’t take the kind nurse more than two minutes to appear in the doorway. 

‘’Your Royal Highness.’’ She blushed. 

William gave her a pointed look.

‘’William,’’ she mumbled. ‘’What can I do for you?’’

‘’Catherine’s family has arrived,’’ he stated. ‘’They are in the cafeteria at the moment. I want to give them an update, but –‘’

‘’You don’t want to leave your wife unattended,’’ finished Rose the sentence for him. 

William nodded. ‘’Could you please sit with her while I’m gone? I would appreciate it very much.’’

Rose smiled at him. ‘’Of course, sir.’’ She took a seat where he just stood up from. 

William smiled back. ‘’Thanks.’’ He got out of the room and then changed his mind. He turned around and looked back into Kate’s room. 

‘’Walk straight through this corridor, take the elevator to the first floor and follow the signs. You’re on the third now.’’ 

William gave her thumbs up. ‘’Thanks.’’

Rose’s instructions couldn’t have been more clear. Fortunately, it was still night, which meant mostly doctors were roaming the corridors. William realized he had to deal with the press first thing tomorrow. What if somebody saw them here and blabbed? No, they should release a statement themselves. When he entered the cafeteria, Carole jumped up and hugged him tightly. 

‘’She will be okay,’’ William said, when she had let go of him. ‘’Thank God.’’ Seeing and feeling the love and their support of the Middleton family, William suddenly noticed how tired and shaky he was feeling. 

‘’God, you’re white as a sheet,’’ Carole said. ‘’Here’s a chair, take a seat.’’ 

William sat down and Michael placed a cup of coffee in front of him.

‘’Cheers, Mike.’’ William took a large gulp. The hot coffee was burning his throat, but it felt good to drink something warm. 

‘’How is she? Can we see her?’’ Pippa asked anxiously. 

William took another sip before he answered her. ‘’The doctors have given her something to help her sleep. While she is sleeping, she is being fed by an intravenous tube. She’ll probably wake up in a few hours, when it is morning. She is okay and our baby is as well.’’ Speaking those last words, William started trembling again, as if he was only now realizing the full impact of these words. ‘’I just came from her room. She is sleeping peacefully. She woke up some time ago, but she didn’t make much sense. I think she was dreaming. She recognized me, though, and fell back to sleep when I told her to.’’

The other four all nodded, they understood. 

‘’I want to see her,’’ Pippa said. ‘’I want to be with her.’’ 

‘’That’s okay,’’ William nodded. ‘’You can come with me.’’

‘’You sure, Will?’’ Carole asked. ‘’Isn’t it better for you to catch some sleep? She’ll need you when she wakes up.’’ 

‘’I don’t want to leave her alone.’’

‘’She won’t. Pippa and I will sit with her for a few hours, and James and Mike for the next hours after that. We’ll make sure she is never by herself, somebody’ll always be there when she awakes.’’ 

It didn’t take long for William to agree with this. He walked with his mother and sister in law back to Kate’s room, where Rose was still sitting next to her bed. He asked her if that room she mentioned was still available. 

‘’Of course,’’ she smiled. ‘’Let me show you.’’ She led him to a room next to Kate’s. 

‘’Thanks, Rose.’’ The bed was nicely made and looked very appealing. Not having brought any pajamas – their bags were still in his car – William only took off his shoes and sweater and climbed under the sheets. His eyes closed when his head hit the pillow.   
After what felt like just seconds, somebody appeared in his room, waking him.

‘’William! Wake up!’’ Pippa was physically shaking him. ‘’Will!’’

‘’Wassup?’’ William asked groggily. 

‘’She’s awake! She is panicked, she’s been asking for you. Come on!’’ 

William, all of a sudden wide awake, jumped out of bed and grabbed his shoes. ‘’What time is it?’’

‘’Nine.’’

‘’Nine? I slept whole night?’’

‘’Yeah, you did. Now hurry!’’

Together they ran the few yards to Kate’s room. She was sitting up, but looked confused. Her eyes lit up when she saw William.

It took William just seconds to walk up to her bed and take her in his arms. Kissing her, he said, ‘’Darling! How are you feeling?’’ 

‘’Weak,’’ she managed to say. ‘’And scared. What are all those tubes for?’’ She had already pulled out the one in her mouth. 

‘’Have you called the doctor?’’ William asked Carole.

She nodded. ‘’Rose said he should be here any moment now.’’ 

‘’Let’s wait for him,’’ William said to Kate. ‘’He’ll explain everything to you. You don’t have to worry. He already told me you are just going to be okay.’’

‘’And the –‘’

‘’The baby as well,’’ William smiled, kissing her again. 

The doctor entered. ‘’Good morning,’’ he smiled, looking at his patient. ‘’You look much better than last night, I must say.’’ He walked to Kate and shook her hand. ‘’I’m doctor Montfort and I will be treating you the next few days.’’ 

‘’Days?’’ Kate repeated. ‘’How long do I have to stay?’’

‘’As long as is necessary. And then a bit longer, to make sure you don’t suffer from a setback.’’ He sat on the foot of Kate’s bed. ‘’You were very, very weak last night, near dehydration and over-tiredness. You have a condition which is called Hyperemesis Gravidarum. This is an extreme form of morning sickness, which explains why you couldn’t hold your food. It seems like the worst is over, but your body isn’t used to digest whole food. It has to get used to it again, which is why you are being fed through that tube over there now.’’ He pointed at Kate’s arm. ‘’When your heartbeat – which is monitored by the other tube –‘’ he pointed again –‘’is a little bit stronger, you may try normal food again. I want to keep you here two or three days for observation, mostly. The danger has passed.’’ He gently patted Kate’s foot. 

Kate nodded in understanding. ‘’So basically it’s up to me?’’

‘’Yes,’’ replied Montford, ‘’but don’t push it, though. Take your time to get your energy and strength back. There is absolutely no rush. Any more questions?’’

‘’Yes,’’ William said. ‘’About the press.’’

‘’What about it?’’ Montford asked. 

‘’Did you have any calls from them yet?’’

Montford shook his head. ‘’No, I don’t think so. Everything regarding you and Catherine is straight one reported to me, as her doctor. So I would have known if there were.’’

‘’Good,’’ William said. ‘’That means they don’t know we are here. We will release a statement soon and then the paparazzi are going to call every hospital here in London, wanting to find out where Catherine is hospitalized. I’m sure of that.’’

‘’We won’t give any information,’’ Montford reassured William. 

‘’Thanks.’’

Montford stood up, ready to leave. ‘’Any more medical questions?’’ he asked, smiling. 

The four of them shook their heads. 

‘’Good. If you want to speak to me, let Rose know,’’ he nodded in her direction, ‘’and she will let me know you want anything, alright?’’

‘’Thanks, doctor,’’ Kate said. Montford left the room. When he was gone, she sank back into the cushions and let out a long sigh. 

‘’It’s going to be okay, honey,’’ Carole said. ‘’We all are here to help you through it. Do you want anything?’’

‘’No, I don’t think so.’’ Her eye caught the television, fastened at the wall opposite her bed. ‘’Do you know if there is a remote control?’’ 

When Carole was looking around for the remote control, William stood up as well.

‘’Where are you going?’’ Kate asked frightened. 

‘’Don’t worry,’’ William smiled. ‘’I’m going to the car, get our bags. You can change your underwear, put on fresh pajamas, read a book.’’

Kate visibly relaxed. ‘’Oh. Alright, then.’’ But when William was already in the corridor, she shouted after him. ‘’No, wait! Will, come back!’’

William came running. ‘’What?’’

‘’Everyone will see you. Or did you already let the palace put out a statement?’’

‘’No, I didn’t.’’

‘’Well, maybe you should do that first. The press will go crazy if they find out you are here.’’ 

‘’They’ll find out anyway, but you’re right. Better to make it official ourselves first, before the speculation starts. I’ll call Dad. You gonna be okay for a while?’’ He pressed a kiss on Kate’s lips.

‘’Yeah, I’ve got everybody else here. You go.’’ 

William was in the corridor again when he heard Kate shouting for the second time. 

‘’And don’t forget my book!’’

He grinned to himself, then walked on. He had to find a quiet spot to make this important phone call. Last night, nobody had been in the hallways of the hospital when he walked there, but now the first visitors started to come in. Wearing his sweater with the hoodie put over his head, he didn’t attract many looks, only frowns from people who thought he looked weird. He spotted a sign ‘’Morgue’’ and decided to follow that direction. Surely people couldn’t overhear him there. Not actually entering the morgue, William came to a halt a few yards before the door that led to the more unfortunate people in this hospital. Trying to ignore this nasty feeling and focus on the task at hand, he pulled out his phone and dialed the number of Clarence House. The secretary that answered his call immediately put him through. 

‘’Hey, Will. What’s up.’’ Charles sounded cheerful. 

William hesitated. His father had absolutely no idea what was going on. He didn’t know Kate was pregnant, that he took her to Bucklebury and that now they were in the hospital. How to break this news to his Dad?

‘’William?’’ Charles asked. ‘’You there?’’ 

‘’Yeah, I –‘’ hearing his father’s soft voice made him emotional in a way he hadn’t expected. Maybe what people always said was true after all: in times of crises, you always get comforted by your parents, no matter how old you are. Knowing his Dad was on the other end of the line reassured him in some way. William pulled himself together. 

‘’Hi dad.’’ 

‘’There you are. Thought you had forgotten how to speak.’’ He laughed.

‘’Dad, I need your help.’’

‘’What, no how are you anymore today?’’ Charles chuckled again. Clearly, he was in a funny mood. 

‘’No, Dad, this is serious.’’ William could practically hear Charles mood change, although his father made no sound at all.

‘’Tell me.’’

‘’I am at the hospital. No, no, I am fine,’’ he added, when Charles interrupted him, at once worried. ‘’It’s Kate.’’ 

He then told the whole story to Charles, who let him speak. He brought him up to date about everything that had happened to them the last week or so. He then asked Charles to put out a press release and make sure security would arrive at the hospital. ‘’It’s just our bodyguards, now,’’ he stated. ‘’But you know what happens when people find out we are here. We need people at all the entrances.’’

‘’I agree,’’ Charles said. ‘’Do you want to let them know which hospital you are in?’’

‘’Yeah, I think that’s for the best. Like I said, it’s only a matter of time before somebody sees me here. Or Kate’s family. Better to have the upper hand in this. But don’t tell how far along the pregnancy is, that is a private matter.’’

‘’I will make sure everything will be taken care of,’’ Charles promised.

‘’Thanks Dad.’’

‘’How are you holding up?’’ 

The sheer sincerity of his Dad’s voice made William tear up. He didn’t know where all this emotion came from. Exhaustion, probably. He didn’t need to reply.

‘’I know,’’ Charles said. ‘’This is hell. I’ll call every hour or so, alright?’’

‘’Yes,’’ William said. ‘’I’ll phone Granny now, tell her the news. Bye.’’ William hung up and then dialed the number of Buckingham Palace, fully aware of the fact that a Royal press release was going to shake the country in just a few minutes.


	8. Chapter 8

William re-entered Kate’s room. She sat up and looked fresh, much more than the last few days. It looked like the colour was returning in her face, on which she had an expectant look. 

‘’Did you succeed?’’

‘’I think if you put on the telly you see the news everywhere,’’ he smiled. 

‘’Did you tell which hospital?’’

‘’I did, the more transparent we are now, the more they leave us – hopefully – to ourselves when you are out of here.’’ 

‘’Which is, according to the doctor, in two days, on the sixth.’’

‘’That is great news,’’ William smiled. ‘’But please don’t rush anything, sweetie. If you don’t feel up to it, I’m sure they don’t mind having you another night.’’

Kate laughed. ‘’I know. But when I don’t vomit, things can patch up pretty quickly!’’ 

William sat in the chair next to Kate’s bed. ‘’Where are the others?’’

‘’Preparing to go home. They don’t have anything here, and James and Pippa have to get in to work as well. Mum and Dad will drive back, gather some essentials and then come back again, going to a hotel. They said they will visit every day. Pippa and James will come in whenever they can, but assured me they will.’’

William stroked her hand. ‘’That’s great. Now, tell me, how are you really feeling?’’

Kate’s smile disappeared. William always saw right through her, always felt when she was putting on a display. ‘’Tired. And my body aches.’’ 

‘’Like when you have the ‘flu?’’

‘’Yeah, exactly. I don’t worry about it, it probably is an effect of the exhaustion caused by my being dehydrated, but it doesn’t do much for my comfort.’’

William nodded. ‘’I know, darling. I think you should sleep as much as possible. You look fresher, but also a bit tired again.’’

Kate sighed. ‘’I know. I want to sleep, though, but now you are here, it’ll be so boring for you.’’

William gave her a stern look. ‘’Please don’t ever talk like that again. The most important thing is you feel better. So if you want to sleep, please do.’’ 

‘’What are you going to do?’’ Kate asked.

‘’I am thinking about driving to Nott Cott, picking up some clean clothes for you and a nice, soft pajama, what do you think?’’

Kate smiled. ‘’That sounds great.’’

‘’What do you need?’’ William pulled his phone out of his pocket, making a list of the things he needed to bring. 

‘’Hmm,’’ Kate thought, ‘’maybe some books and movies. A comfy jumper would be appreciated, but I can’t think of much more at the moment.’’

‘’That’s okay. I will open every drawer and put together what seems helpful. Better to many things here than not.’’ He gave her a kiss. ‘’Sleep tight, honey. See you in a bit.’’

When William turned around before he close to door, Kate already had disappeared under the big, white blankets, leaving only the top of her head to be seen. He smiled and hoped she would sleep peacefully and dreamless. He softly closed the door. On his way out, he bumped into Rose, who told him she would go home but be back for the evening shift. A nurse called Jacintha would be in charge now. William thanked her. Gesturing to his protection officer that he was ready, they stepped out of the hospital. The news clearly hadn’t reached the media yet, because the short walk from door to car was easy and quiet. His car was still parked at the emergency exit: people who walked about in that area didn’t have time to gauge after him; they had more pressuring matters to deal with. 

When William entered Nottingham Cottage, he sighed out of sheer relief. The last night and day had been dreadful and now he was home, he felt how tired he really was. He wanted to take a nap – sleeping in a hospital, worrying about his wife didn’t gave him the rest he craved – but he also wanted to go back to Kate as soon as possible. As he made his way upstairs to sort out some clothes for the both of them, his phone rang. Not bothering checking who was calling, he picked up.

‘’Hello?’’

‘’Hey, Will, it’s me.’’ 

Again, just like he was talking to Charles before, William felt a surge of emotion at hearing a familiar, kind voice. ‘’Hi, Harry.’’

‘’How are you?’’ 

‘’Tired as hell.’’

‘’Where?’’ Harry and he always understood each other, not needing many words.

‘’Nott Cott.’’

‘’Be there in five.’’ His brother hung up. 

‘’Right,’’ William mumbled to himself. ‘’Clothes.’’ He opened some drawers, looking for the right things. He and Kate were at Anglesey most of the time, so they only had a few things here in London. William hoped it would be enough to make it through some days here. Kate didn’t need much, only something decent to wear when they would be leaving the hospital. William groaned at the thought of it and all the photographers who would no doubt be there. Downstairs, he heard the kitchen door squeak and then bang when it closed again. 

‘’Oy!’’ 

‘’Upstairs,’’ William yelled back. 

‘’Hey,’’ Harry said softly, when he had made his way up. He slapped William’s back. ‘’Dad just told me. The press can go crazy any minute now.’’ 

‘’Wonderful.’’

‘’Cheer up, man. They don’t know anything, only she is expecting. They have no clue about the what and the when. You two’ll be up north in Wales in a week or so and life can go back to normal for you guys.’’ 

‘’I reckon..,’’ William said.

‘’Why not? You haven’t been bothered much by the people in Anglesey, right?’’

William cheered up a bit. ‘’You’re right. They leave us to ourselves.’’ 

‘’It’ll be okay, I know. How’s Kate doing?’’ 

William told his brother everything that had been going on for the last couple of days. 

‘’I’ll give her a call, later today,’’ Harry said, when William was finished.

William nodded. ‘’You should. She would really appreciate that.’’ He felt lighter, having talked with his little brother. ‘’Thanks,’’ he said.

‘’Don’t be stupid,’’ Harry replied and they both laughed. 

William checked his watch. ‘’I should be going back.’’ 

‘’Tell Kate I’ll ring her,’’ Harry said, when William was already on his way downstairs.

‘’Will do!’’ William yelled back. 

This time, William used a chauffeur to drive him back to the hospital. Now the world knew there soon was to be an heir to the throne, it seemed saver this way. William didn’t want to take any risks. One of them in the hospital was more than enough. As anticipated, the British media had gathered around the entrance of King Edward VII hospital, now guarded by two police men. He tried to make his way in as quickly as possible, ignoring the shouts of some of the journalists and trying to protect his eyes from the heavy flashing of the long-lens cameras. Luckily, he thought, they had no idea which room Kate was lying in. 

‘’How is Catherine feeling?’’

‘’Congratulations! This wasn’t how you would expect to become parents for the first time, right?’’

‘’Your Royal Highness!’’ 

They clearly were trying to get a statement out of him, but William just kept walking, until he couldn’t hear them anymore. Kate’s nurse had noticed he was back in the hospital. 

‘’Your Royal Highness,’’ she began.

Just like with Rose, the night-nurse, William urged her to use his own name, instead of his title. 

‘’Has Catherine woken up yet?’’ he asked her. 

She nodded. ‘’But only just, she slept almost the whole time you were gone.’’

‘’Which is, like -‘’ William checked his watch – ‘’two, three hours?’’

‘’Yes, exactly. This is a good sign, she will feel stronger every time she wakes up, just because she hasn’t been retching anymore. Slowly her body will recover.’’

William nodded along with what she was saying. This all made sense. 

‘’When she is still doing okay, she can try some real food tonight,’’ Jacintha continued. ‘’But I won’t be here at that time anymore, Rose’ll be back.’’

‘’That’s fine,’’ William said. ‘’Thank you.’’

Jacintha nodded once and made her way back to the nurse’s station. William, feeling lighter already, opened the door to Kate’s room. She was wide awake, reading her favorite book that he had fetched her earlier today, after calling his Dad and Grandma. A glass of water stood next to her on her nightstand. It was half full. Kate was so engrossed with her book, she didn’t hear him enter.

‘’Hi, Katie,’’ he said softly. 

When Kate saw her husband her face broke into a grin and she put her book away. William walked towards her, wanting to hug and kiss her. 

‘’Jacintha tells me you are feeling better, again.’’

‘’I am, look.’’ She pointed proudly at her glass of water. 

‘’Yeah, right. That was just filled for half of it, the nurse surely didn’t want to discourage you with bringing a completely filled one.’’ 

Kate looked disappointed, but William winked. 

‘’You really drank half of it already? I am so proud of you!’’ Again, he hugged his wife. 

‘’Yeah, I figured, why not try?’’ Kate said. ‘’It’s just water.’’ 

‘’You couldn’t hold water down the day before yesterday,’’ William sharply pointed out to her. 

‘’Jacintha explained to me why I could try it. I am being fed by tubes now, so my body is holding it down, because it doesn’t pass my stomach, but it goes straight into my veins and blood. That means, my body gets the rest it so gravely needed. On top of that, I sleep much, so that’s the second thing which makes me stronger. So I thought, I give it a shot.’’ Kate looked very pleased with herself, which William thought very cute. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and made a picture of Kate. 

‘’Hey, what’s that for?’’

‘’You looked cute,’’ William shrugged. 

‘’We should take more pictures of this pregnancy,’’ Kate said. But before she could elaborate on this project, the door opened and Jacintha entered. 

‘’Your Royal Highnesses, I hope I don’t interrupt.’’ 

‘’Hi, Jacintha, please come in,’’ William said. ‘’What’s up?’’

‘’I would like to inform you we have scheduled an ultrasound for Catherine tomorrow morning at eleven o’clock. Dr Setchell will perform the ultrasound, at your request.’’

Before William or Kate could reply, Jacintha scuffled away again, closing the door behind her. William and Kate looked at each other, both feeling elated. 

‘’An ultrasound!’’ Kate said. ‘’We can actually see our baby!’’ 

William chuckled. ‘’Don’t get your hopes up, though, honey. He or she is still very, very small.’’

‘’Yeah, but still!’’ Kate pressed. William couldn’t but agree with her. It would be absolutely amazing to see their child for the first time.   
His phone rang. 

‘’Hi, Gran.’’ 

Kate looked up in amazement. Calls from the Queen were rare, usually William called her or he was being called by a secretary letting him know one thing or another. The conversation was short, but, according to her husband’s face, pleasant. 

‘’What was that about?’’ she asked when William had put his phone away again. 

‘’Grandma wants to come visit you tomorrow night. She asked whether that was okay.’’

‘’Of course it is!’’ Kate said. ‘’Why wouldn’t it be?’’

‘’She just wanted to make sure you would be up to it. She would only come when you were feeling better, so she wouldn’t put a strain on you, obliging her when you’re not really up to receiving visitors,’’ William explained.

‘’How thoughtful of her,’’ Kate said. ‘’But I think I will manage, I mean, look at me now.’’ 

As William did so, he noticed Kate already was becoming a bit paler than before. Being up and chatting clearly was a bit tiring for her, so he suggested she should go back to sleep.

Kate sighed. ‘’I don’t want to sleep, I am just up for ninety minutes or so. Wanna watch a movie? You did bring some, did you?’’

‘’’Course,’’ William grinned. He emptied the bag, letting the DVD’s fall onto Kate’s knees. ‘’You pick one.’’

As he put Kate’s movie of choice in the DVD-player, his wife snuggled back under the blankets. 

‘’You cold?’’ William asked.

‘’Yeah.’’

‘’Here.’’ William took of his shoes and climbed on the bed.

‘’What are you doing?’’ Kate asked, but William didn’t reply. Instead, he climbed beneath the blankets and pulled Kate in a warm, strong embrace, putting the blankets over her entirely. Kate stopped protesting immediately. William hit ‘play’ and they started watching the movie. After a couple of minutes, William glanced down, only to see his wife had fallen asleep in his arms. He muted the movie and closed his own eyes as well. When he woke up again, the movie had ended a long time ago. He checked his watch and saw it was five o’clock in the afternoon already. 

‘’Sweetie,’’ William tried to wake Kate. ‘’Hey, Katie, wake up.’’

‘’Hmm,’’ she mumbled sleepily. ‘’Wassematter?’’

‘’Nothing, dear. I want to wake you up because of the time. In this case you have some time to wake up, and that augments the chance of keeping some of the food down. Jacintha told me you’ll be served at six thirty.’’

‘’When did she tell you that?’’ Kate still was a bit confused. She looked very sleepy. William couldn’t resist and took another picture. She didn’t even protest.  
‘’When I bumped into her in the corridor, when I came back from Nott Cott to pick up some clothes, she told me.’’

‘’Ah, alright.’’ Kate sat. She rubbed her eyes, trying to wake up properly. ‘’Clothes, you said?’’

William grinned. ‘’That’s all you got from that?’’

Kate shrugged. ‘’Wasn’t that much.’’

William bent down to pick up his bag and opened it. ‘’Here.’’ He handed her fresh underwear and a clean pajama. ‘’Thanks.’’ 

Kate tried to get out of bed, but this was harder than it seemed. There were still several wires attached to her, so wherever she went, those tubes went with her. But this wasn’t William’s concern.

‘’Whoah, where do you think you’re going?’’

‘’To the bathroom,’’ gestured Kate, using her head, as her hands were filled with the clean clothes. 

‘’Don’t you think that is a sensible thing to do? You’ll fall over.’’

‘’Don’t be ridiculous,’’ Kate said, but she was swaying on the spot. 

‘’Get back in bed,’’ William ordered. ‘’I’ll call the nurse.’’

‘’But -,’’ Kate looked disappointed in a strange way, ‘’do you not want to help me change?’’ William surely wasn’t that bad a husband, was he? Or was he really calling a nurse to help her change instead of doing it himself? But before Kate could phrase this unsettling thought, Jacintha entered. 

‘’How can I be of help?’’

‘’My wife wants to change into a fresh set of pajamas,’’ William explained. ‘’But that isn’t possible with all those wires attached to her. Could you please release her of it?’’

‘’Sure,’’ Jacintha said. ‘’Catherine, would you please lie back in bed? It’s easier and less painful to release them.’’

‘’Sure.’’ Kate did as she was told. ‘’Do they have to be reattached again?’’

‘’No, the doctor wants to see how you manage a bit of soup later tonight. Based on your progress then, he will make a decision about those IV-drips.’’

‘’Thanks,’’ Kate smiled. Jacintha left. 

‘’For a moment I thought you would let help her change me,’’ Kate said. 

William looked at her in disbelief. ‘’Instead of doing that myself? What kind of husband do you think I am?’’ He winked.

Kate was more relieved than she showed. She had of course not expected that kind of behaviour from him, but still, you never knew how he was going to react now he was a Royal in a hospital. But Kate was glad it didn’t affect his normal attentive, loving behaviour.   
After she had put on fresh clothes, she was a little tired from the exercise. Standing on her own two feet proved more difficult than she had anticipated. 

‘’Well, you have been very weak for a long time,’’ William said. ‘’I’m sure you’ll have your strength back in no time.’’

She was now carefully sipping some water, letting her stomach getting used to some fluids, before she would eat her soup, which could be carried in any moment now. And indeed, after a couple of minutes Rose brought in a tray, on which a steaming hot bowl of chicken soup was placed. 

‘’Hi Rose,’’ greeted Kate.

‘’Hello Catherine,’’ Rose winked, ‘’hope you’re hungry.’’

Kate laughed. ‘’Well, not particularly, but I think I will give it a shot anyway.’’

‘’Good girl,’’ William said. 

‘’Have a nice meal,’’ Rose said, about to walk out of the room again. ‘’I reckon Jacintha has told you about your wires?’’

‘’Yes,’’ Kate replied. ‘’I believe I have to eat this without any retching and then they can stay off.’’

‘’Indeed. I will come back later to check on you again.’’

‘’Thank you,’’ William said. 

Kate brought the first spoonful to her mouth, while William stared intently at her. She let the spoon fall back into the bowl and scowled at him. ‘’Will, if you’re going to look at me like that every time I eat something, I’m going mad. Please act normal, make yourself useful.’’

‘’Sorry,’’ William said. ‘’I want to go to the cafetaria, get some food myself, but I am afraid the smell of it will set you off.’’

‘’You can go when I am finished with this and eat there, if you want,’’ Kate suggested.

‘’No, I don’t want people staring and talking to me. I’ll ask Mark if he wants to go and get me some when you are done.’’ Mark was one of his protection officers. ‘’I will eat it in the room next door.’’

‘’Thank you.’’ 

‘’Is it good?’’ William asked, pointing at the soup.

Kate smiled. ‘’It’s fine. There aren’t too many veggies in it, just some bouillon, making it easy to digest. I really hope I can keep it down, this time. At home, eating soup was a disaster.’’ She sighed.

‘’You’re much stronger now,’’ William reassured her. ‘’I’m sure you will feel better in no time and can eat everything you want again.’’

‘’Then I can finally give in to all those pregnancy cravings,’’ Kate laughed. 

William groaned. ‘’Does this mean you will be eating more of those Haribo candy things?’’

Kate chuckled. ‘’I’m afraid so.’’ She took another spoonful, when her phone beeped. ‘’Could you please check that?’’ she managed to bring out, having her mouth filled with hot soup.

‘’Don’t you eat that too quickly?’’ William asked concerned? 

Kate shrugged. ‘’Hungry.’’ 

‘’It’s from Pippa,’’ William said, when he read the text. ‘’She and James want to come over tonight and ask whether that suits you?’’

Kate’s eyes lit up. ‘’Of course! The more, the merrier.’’

William laughed. ‘’The minute you start feeling a tiny bit better, you think you can conquor the world, don’t you?’’

‘’What?’’ 

‘’I’m just saying, if you’re not up for it, or feel tired, that’s okay too,’’ William said.

‘’I think I will manage. And if I grow tired, I’ll say so.’’

William looked at her.

‘’Honestly.’’

‘’Alright.’’ He texted back they could come visit her. ‘’Your parents will be here first thing tomorrow morning. Traffic delayed them from coming tonight.’’ 

‘’That’s alright. I’m done!’’ Kate showed him the empty bowl. 

‘’Wow, you managed that in fifteen minutes!’’

‘’I know, right,’’ Kate said proudly. 

The evening passed smoothly. Kate – and William – were enormously relieved she didn’t throw up the soup. It meant the wires didn’t have to be attached again, if Kate made sure she drank enough. A bottle of water was now keeping her company at all times. Kate actually enjoyed taking small sips. It felt good to hydrate her body again and to know she was back on track: it gave her new energy. Having Pippa and James coming over was more tiring than she had thought, so they didn’t stay too long. But they too were over the moon Kate was feeling better. Especially James, who had experienced Kate’s trouble first-hand when she and William were staying at Bucklebury, had trouble to hide his relief. And Pippa kept talking and talking about the ultrasound that would take place next morning, pressing her and William to take a picture and send it to her. She finally realized in full she was going to be an aunt. 

‘’Pippa was really freaking out,’’ William laughed, when his brother and sister in law had left. 

‘’Well, she is right, though,’’ Kate said. ‘’I mean, we haven’t had a chance to really enjoy this pregnancy and now I’m feeling better, it becomes real, in some way.’’

‘’With the ultrasound, tomorrow.’’

‘’Yeah, exactly. I am so excited for that!’’

William smiled and kissed Kate. ‘’You should get some sleep, now, sweetie.’’

‘’Do you stay over tonight?’’

William shook his head. ‘’I sleep much better in my own bed. Do you mind?’’

‘’Not at all,’’ Kate replied. ‘’When I am asleep I don’t notice whether you are here or not.’’

‘’If anything happens, I’ll be here in ten minutes,’’ William said. ‘’I’ll be back tomorrow morning at nine, to watch you eat your breakfast.’’ 

Kate laughed. ‘’Hope the media don’t give you a hard time, outside.’’

William gave Kate another kiss. ‘’I’ll ignore them. Good night.’’

Kate watched William leave and then turned on the television. She didn’t feel like sleeping yet, her head was still filled with everything that had happened today. She zipped through the channels, but on each and everyone was the news of her pregnancy announced. Seeing herself on television was still a strange experience. She turned it off and tried to get comfortable. Now she lied alone, in the dark, she felt how tired she really was. It didn’t take long to fall asleep.   
When she woke the next morning, William was already there. It was like he never left the hospital. 

‘’Morning sunshine,’’ he said when he saw she was awake.

‘’Did you stay here tonight after all?’’ she asked confused.

William laughed. ‘’No, I really went home. You have just slept straight to morning.’’ 

‘’What’s the time?’’

‘’Nine fifteen.’’

‘’What?’’ 

William laughed. ‘’Told you. You need help freshen up?’’ 

‘’I think I will handle it.’’ Kate climbed out of bed and walked to the little bathroom her room contained. She brushed her teeth and put on clean clothes. When she emerged again, William looked at her proudly.

‘’Changing and brushing your teeth isn’t that quite a deal,’’ Kate said indignantly, when she got in bed again. ‘’So don’t look at me like that.’’

‘’It’s not that,’’ William smiled. ‘’You just look so much better, every time I come in here. If you keep it up, you really can go home tomorrow.’’

Kate looked happy. ‘’I really, really hope so. I want to start enjoying this pregnancy.’’ She wanted to say how much she looked forward to prepare for their little family of three, but didn’t get the chance. Jacintha brought in breakfast, for William as well, to see if she could keep it in if somebody else was eating something different right next to her. She was urged not to eat too quickly; this was the first time she got real food. Some toast with a little butter and fresh fruit, not just a little bit if soup. 

‘’Take your time,’’ Jacintha told her. ‘’You have plenty of time before the ultrasound.’’ 

Although Kate didn’t manage to eat this breakfast as quickly as she had managed the soup yesterday evening, her body accepted it gratefully, which put Kate in really good spirits. 

‘’I never thought one person could be so happy just about being able to eat food,’’ she laughed. Everything seemed brighter today. She looked at her watch and sighed. ‘’Thirty minutes to go.’’

William laughed, knowing she was talking about the ultrasound. ‘’Patience, honey. I you can’t wait thirty minutes, how will you wait the other six months, huh?’’

Kate looked at him. ‘’Don’t get me started. I hope the baby will be born early.’’ She paused and thought over what she had just said. ‘’No, forget that. If he or she needs the full nine months, I will of course sit them out.’’ She tried to divert herself with her book for some time, while William rang his Dad to tell how things were going today. He too checked his watch every thirty seconds, but didn’t want Kate to know that. 

Finally it was five to eleven. Dr Setchell entered the room and told them he was ready for them. Kate had to be transported to the right room in a wheelchair, but she only obliged after William had reassured her this was just hospital policy. She felt weak, being wheeled around the corridors. She could too walk by herself. But after William had pressed her to oblige and said he would push her himself, she sat down, albeit reluctantly. It was a short walk and the nurses had made sure nobody was around, a thing for which particularly William was glad. In this modern era with phones everywhere, the last thing he wanted was pictures of Kate in a hospital on Twitter and Facebook. When they had reached the right room, he helped Kate get out of the wheelchair and on the bed that was standing in the middle of the room. Dr Setchell got straight to work.

‘’Catherine, please expose your stomach for me.’’

Kate lifted her shirt right up to where her bra started. ‘’Like this?’’

‘’Perfect.’’ Dr Setchell put gel on it, so he could do the ultrasound properly.

‘’Whoa, that’s cold.’’ Kate cringed.

‘’Try and relax. This doesn’t hurt at all.   
William moved so he could stand next to Kate’s head and grabbed her hand. Kate squeezed it immediately. She didn’t show, but William could feel she was a little bit nervous.

‘’There we are,’’ said the doctor after a little while. ‘’Here’s your baby.’’ 

The steady sound of a beating heart filled the room. Dr Setchell and Jacintha were both beaming at the screen. 

‘’Here is the head,’’ Setchell pointed out to William and Kate. ‘’And you can see the arms and legs as well. There isn’t too much detail yet, your baby is still very small. Everything looks perfect. Your HG hasn’t affected your child at all. He is lying in a good position and clearly looks relaxed.’’ He looked at William and Kate. ‘’I’ll leave you to yourselves now. Please call when you are ready.’’

It didn’t occur to either one of them to thank the doctor and nurse; they were both staring intently at the screen, completely enchanted by the first look at their child. When William finally could bring himself to tear away his gaze and look at Kate instead, he saw she had tears in her eyes. 

‘’You okay?’’ he asked softly.

Kate nodded. ‘’’Course. Look at that. This is our child.’’ She squeezed William’s hand again and he bent over to kiss her, caressing her stomach with his other hand. 

‘’This is real,’’ William said, which made Kate laugh. ‘’You know what I mean,’’ he added. ‘’It’s amazing, to see this.’’ 

They both kept looking for a good twenty minutes, before William decided this was enough. ‘’Your parents can arrive any minute now.’’ It took some time to persuade Kate to come with him. William let Dr Setchell know they were ready and he printed some pictures of the ultrasound for them. Kate was quiet the whole ride back, sitting in her chair and looking at the photographs of their little one. William smiled to himself. Things from now on would become better rapidly. His wife could eat again, felt better, healthier and happier, even more so now they had had their first ultrasound. He made a mental note, to get one of those pictures framed for Kate and give it to her on her birthday. When they returned to Kate’s room, Michael and Carole were already there. Kate practically jumped out of her wheelchair to show the pictures to her parents. William smiled and left the room. He needed to call his Grandma and see what her plans for tonight were. After a short conversation with her secretary, it was confirmed she still intended to go, a plan for which William was all for. It would mean very much to his wife when she came to visit. Kate truly saw her as her first role model and they got along really well. His Grandma was really proud of her, of the way she had taken every aspect of royal life in her stride. And besides, his grandmother loved babies and would be delighted to see the pictures of the ultrasound herself. Her secretary informed him all the arrangements according to privacy and security had be taken so nothing stood in her way from visiting the hospital. When William told Kate this, she was just as happy as he. Actually they both kept smiling for the rest of the day and evening. This was expecting a child as it should be and they were intending to enjoy every moment of it.   
On top of that, Kate could eat properly again. Still in little bits and not food that was heavy on the stomach, but toast, soup and fruit. She even managed a sandwich this afternoon. This meant she could go home tomorrow morning, after a final check-up. The Queen was delighted when Rose told this news when she was visiting. She told her grandchildren she would arrange a big flower bouquet to be delivered to their home tomorrow, to give it a more homey feeling. They hadn’t lived there for a while, but William had decided it would be best to stay a few weeks here in London. If anything happened again to Kate, he could bring her back to the hospital really quickly.   
After this eventful day, Kate was again tired, but felt better than before. When William had wished her goodnight and left for Nottingham Cottage, Kate fell asleep, dreaming of William playing with their child.


	9. Chapter 9

‘’Morning!’’ William practically ran into Kate’s room. 

‘’Hello there,’’ she smiled back. ‘’Did you get my clothes?’’ 

‘’Yup.’’ William held up a bag, containing the coat and scarf Kate would wear when they were leaving the hospital and making their way back home. ‘’How did it go?’’ he asked, when he had put the bag down again. Kate had had her final check this morning. 

‘’Very well. The doctor said I have made excellent progress.’’ 

‘’That’s great,’’ William smiled. He walked to Kate’s bed and pulled her into an embrace. ‘’Does that mean we can do more than cuddle now?’’ he whispered in her ear. 

‘’Sure,’’ Kate replied. ‘’You can kiss me, as well.’’ She smirked at her husband, who winked back at her. Those days would come, Kate had to rest first. William got serious again. ‘’But, what did he say?’’ He sat down at the foot of the bed, stroking Kate’s knee.

‘’Well, my body contains enough fluids again and in general is stronger than when you brought me in.’’

‘’I can hope so,’’ William interjected. Kate scowled at him for his sarcasm and continued. ‘’The baby is completely healthy as well. The heartbeat is strong and he or she isn’t too small. It seems my HG hasn’t affected him.’’

William smiled. ‘’That’s great.’’ He removed his hand from his wife’s knee and placed it on her stomach. You couldn’t feel anything yet, the bump being barely visible, but the idea that his child was growing inside there, made William want to touch it all the time. Kate, in the meantime, continued her story. 

‘’And he said I could eat and do anything I want again, but advised me to take it in little steps, to let my body get used to exercise and heavier meals again. But I could have figured that out myself.’’

William nodded. It all sounded very sensible, but the thing that concerned him was whether Kate would have a relapse and end up in the hospital for a second time. 

‘’Why are you frowning?’’ Kate asked him, ‘’this is good news, right?’’ 

‘’Yeah, yeah, it is,’’ William said, still a bit absent-mindedly, ‘’I was just thinking – how you really should be careful with yourself right now. I don’t want to bring you to a hospital again unless you are about to actually give birth.’’

‘’Well, that is fine with me, because I had the same plan,’’ Kate grinned. 

‘’I am serious,’’ William pressed. 

‘’Don’t worry, honey. I know what I can and cannot do – or eat. It will be hard, for sure, and tiring, but I just have this feeling inside me that tells me I will succeed. I am healthy, young, why shouldn’t it go fine?’’

William was silent.

‘’Hey, cheer up.’’ Kate nudged him. ‘’It will all be okay, alright?’’ 

‘’I know.’’ William took a deep breath and recomposed himself. ‘’I know. It will be.’’ He smiled at Kate. ‘’When do you want to leave?’’ 

‘’How many photographers are outside?’’ 

‘’The usual bunch. But it is still morning, so there aren’t as much other people around.’’

‘’I will change and then I am good to go.’’

‘’Alright,’’ William said. ‘’I will pack you bag, then.’’ 

When they were about to stand up from the bed and start preparing for departing the hospital, a sudden knock on the door got their attention.

‘’Yes,’’ William said; the door opened and a man they had never seen before entered the room.

‘’Good morning, Your Royal Highnesses,’’ he began. ‘’Let me introduce myself. I am the director of this hospital.’’ 

‘’Nice to meet you,’’ William said. He thought it strange this man was in their room all of a sudden. Did he want to say goodbye before he brought Kate home? Was this a cheeky way of meeting them? And why had he such a grave look on his face? Maybe that was because he had to tell bad news to dozens of people, and had become his standard look when addressing patients. Not very comforting, William thought. He could notice Kate had stiffened beside him, surprised at this sudden visit. 

‘’May I sit down?’’ he asked. ‘’I am afraid I don’t have pleasant news.’’ 

‘’Of course,’’ William said, nodding. Again, Kate had frozen. William put a protecting arm around her shoulders. He could imagine what kind of thoughts were entering his wife’s mind right now. Complications with her health or the baby’s. His gut feeling thought him something was really wrong, but his mind spoke otherwise. If there were any medical complications, Kate’s doctor would have come in to tell them that, not the director of the hospital himself. 

After clearing his throat, he broke the uncomfortable silence. ‘’Sir, Ma’am, an unfortunate incident has occurred. This morning, the nurse’s station received a call from who they thought was Her Majesty the Queen.’’

William didn’t understand. His Grandma would never call the hospital herself; she had her secretary to make calls like that. And besides, they had spoken on their mobile phones all week long, why would she change that? He kept listening.

‘’But, as you probably realize, it wasn’t the Queen. In fact, the call came from Australia. A radio station thought it was funny to impersonate her and phone the hospital to ask how Catherine was doing.’’ He nodded at Kate, who’s mouth had fallen open. ‘’Unfortunately, the nurse who took the call, didn’t realize this. She afterwards told me she was so nervous upon hearing she had to talk to the Queen, she didn’t think twice. 

‘’Did she – did she tell anything about me?’’ Kate asked with a trembling voice. 

‘’Nothing of importance. She told the journalist you were doing okay and haven’t retched since coming in. Of course, we are all devastated such a thing has happened. We felt it wasn’t right to withhold this information, which is why I took it upon me to inform you.’’

William and Kate were silent. They knew their privacy was going to be even more invaded once Kate was pregnant, but this they hadn’t expected. After a long pause, William spoke. 

‘’We understand. Please tell the nurse we are sorry for her that it must go this way. It isn’t her fault. Those journalists should never have called.’’

The director nodded. ‘’I’ll leave you to yourselves now.’’

‘’Wait!’’ William said, when he was almost gone. ‘’Who was the nurse?’’ 

The director laughed wryly. ‘’Jacintha.’’ When he had left, William turned around and saw that Kate was crying in silent. William sat down next to her on the bed and put his arm around her for the second time this morning. He waited till Kate started speaking.

‘’Why can’t they just leave us alone?’’

William pulled Kate close to him, stroking her hair in the hope to comfort her a little bit. ‘’I know.’’

Kate sighed. ‘’I know you do. You have dealt with this shit much longer than me. It’s just – I can’t get my head around it. We released a statement I had been admitted to the hospital, which hospital and why. And still, people have the urge to make calls like that.’’ Kate had stopped crying; anger had taken over. 

‘’I know,’’ William said again. He thought it more sensible to agree with her than start the discussion. He knew from experience the people – and especially media – always wanted to know more. They constantly begged for more interviews, pictures and whatnot, and if they decided to give them a finger, they would demand the whole hand. There was just no satisfying them. But Kate still had to come to terms with this. Of course, she was used to having very little privacy by now, but they had always managed to keep as private as possible, especially while they were living at Anglesey. The topless pictures incident had been the first real privacy breach, but after that it had become quiet again. If they themselves kept a low-profile, so did the journalists. But all this would change once Kate was out and about again during her pregnancy and when the baby was born, everything would break out in just pure frenzy. It had been thirty years ago an heir to the throne was born, so interest in the Royal Family would spike up again. William panicked at the thought of it. He only hoped they could live as a normal as possible young family within a few months. 

‘’What are you thinking about?’’ Kate asked. Her anger seemed to have passed. 

‘’Nothing.’’ William didn’t want to upset her more. This was bad as it was. ‘’Just think about it this way. It is very unsettling the thought occurs to somebody to phone here and it is actually worse they even made that call, but they didn’t get any new information. If you weren’t doing fine, you wouldn’t be going home today.’’

Kate took a deep breath. ‘’I guess you are right. I should go get ready.’’

‘’You don’t want a moment to yourself, ourselves?’’ William asked softly. 

Kate looked at him and something in her expression made William’s heart ache. ‘’I just want to go home.’’

‘’That’s alright. I’ll continue packing.’’

\--------

When William and Kate made their way out, followed by the usual protection officers, the staff of the hospital had lined up before the front door. Rose presented Kate with a bouquet of bright yellow flowers, which she accepted gratefully. ‘’Thank you for taking such good care of me, Rose,’’ Kate spoke to her. 

‘’Not a problem, ma’am,’’ she replied. ‘’I hope you don’t have to come back here.’’ 

Kate smiled. ‘’I hope so too.’’ She looked around to see where William was, when she spotted him talking to doctor Montford, thanking him as well. Kate scanned the rest of the corridor. Jacintha wasn’t there. Kate turned back to talk some more with Rose when she felt a hand on her back. 

‘’Are you ready?’’ William asked her. She nodded. The doors opened and they stepped outside. They were greeted by a roar of people, shouting at them. There were the usual journalists, but also a significant group of people had managed to assemble in front of the hospital. William and Kate stood for a while on the steps, trying not to close their eyes for the permanent flashing of clicking cameras. Everyone was asking Kate how she was feeling. ‘’I’m very well,’’ she answered. They ignored the other questions. When William decided it was enough, he led Kate towards the car. As soon as they were out of the street and there were no more staring eyes directed at them, Kate placed her head on William’s shoulder and sighed. 

‘’I imagined this day quite differently, you know.’’ 

‘’I know,’’ William said. ‘’But you know what, let’s make the most of this day.’’ 

Kate looked at him. ‘’What do you mean?’’ 

‘’Let’s see how the renovations at our apartment are going. We can walk, so you can breathe in fresh air again. And I will go grocery shopping, getting all fresh things for you.’’ William smiled at her. ‘’What do you think?’’

Kate raised an eyebrow. ‘’You go grocery shopping?’’

‘’Yeah.’’

‘’For real?’’

‘’I don’t see why not?’’

‘’In the middle of London, you go grocery shopping? We are not at Anglesey, honey. Maybe you should send somebody to do that for you.’’

‘’Yeah, you’re right.’’ William had gotten so enthusiastic of having his wife all for himself again, and wanting to take care of her, he didn’t notice the tiny hiccup in his plan. If he entered a Tesco here, they would eat him alive. ‘’But what do you think about seeing the apartment?’’ 

‘’I like that very much,’’ Kate answered. ‘’We haven’t been there in a while, I am curious how everything is turning out.’’

‘’We’re here,’’ the chauffeur said. It was a short ride from the hospital to Nottingham Cottage. 

‘’You go relax on the couch,’’ William said as soon as they were inside. ‘’I’ll take care of everything, getting supplies in here and stuff.’’ 

Kate pouted. ‘’I’m not sick anymore, I can help.’’

‘’You’re not sick, but you’re not fit either. You need your strength and I don’t want you overdoing it the first day you got back. Please. Just relax for a while and then we go to the Palace.’’ 

There was no arguing with this logic so Kate did as she was told. William disappeared, unpacking their bags and making various calls and she sat down in the living room, flicking through the channels with the remote. Nothing interesting was on, except her own departure from the hospital. Not wanting to watch day-time television, Kate switched it off again. She was glad to be back home, but also a little worried. It had all been very safe, in that bubble in the hospital. Every move she made was monitored and analyzed, and the baby’s as well. The doctor and nurses made sure she drank enough fluids and ate what made her body strong again. Now she was on her own again. She already dreaded the day William went back to work. Would she be able to cope on her own? She hoped with all her heart she wouldn’t have a relapse and be committed again. She never had told William how she really felt during the time she was sick back home. She had never been more scared for her health before – or more depressed. Every single day had been a struggle. A struggle to get out of bed, to the bathroom and back again. A struggle to hold down the little bits of water she was drinking – through a straw. The tears welled up in Kate’s eyes when she only thought back to this. William had been very sweet and caring, of course, but he didn’t know what was really going through her head at the time. This wasn’t his fault, she just didn’t have the strength to speak about it. She had to tell him, though, preferably as soon as possible. He had to know what was going through her head. He would help her recover and understand what she was feeling. In secret, Kate was glad they would stay a few weeks here in London. Her parents were close, they had all sorts of staff who could help out with keeping the house, so she could relax and recover. She felt her body tiring already. The fact that she was out of the hospital did not mean she was feeling completely back on track. This realization hit her hard. Very naively, of course, she had thought that once back home, everything would be fine again. But her body disagreed, letting her know it was time for a little nap. Kate felt frustrated; what had she really done today? Got dressed and driven home. But soon, she decided to give in to all the emotions and physical distress her body signaled to her. That was the best way to recovery. She walked upstairs, where William was still busy putting everything away.

‘’Oh, no, no, you’re not helping,’’ he said immediately, when he saw her coming through the door. 

Kate smiled at him. ‘’I’m thinking about taking a nap,’’ she said with a soft voice. ‘’Are you almost ready?’’ 

‘’Yup, just those last things.’’ He held up a pair of jumpers. Kate changed into her pajamas and lay down in bed.

‘’Do you want a hot water bottle?’’ William asked attentively. Kate smiled gratefully at him. He knew her so well. A few minutes later, she snuggled under the blankets, the hot water bottle firm in place against her stomach. She was always cold in this time of year. 

‘’Sweet dreams.’’ William kissed the only part of her head still visible. ‘’Do you want me to wake you up after some time or do I let you sleep?’’ 

‘’Hmmm,’’ was the only reply he got. William smiled, closing the door softly behind him. Now it was his turn to lounge on the couch and think about what had happened the last few days. It had really been a rollercoaster. It was a good thing they stayed here until Christmas. That would give Kate the time to recover. He felt so sorry for his wife. Instead of enjoying her pregnancy, a very exciting time, she was hospitalized. He noticed she was trying to pretend everything was fine and she was feeling much better, but he could tell by the way her eyes looked this was not the case. That’s why he was glad she had decided to take a nap, instead of pulling it through the day and collapsing in the evening. 

Later that afternoon, Kate woke up. She and William decided to take a look at the ongoing renovations at their new Kensington apartment. It had not been lived in for a very long time, so there was loads of work to be done. The whole place had to be patched up, but that was not the only thing. William and Kate wanted a modern home, not an old-fashioned one. They had the intention to refurbish and repaint the whole house, which could take a long while. Now the news of their pregnancy was out in the open, they could discuss plans they had for the nursery as well. Particularly Kate was excited about his. During this short walk, Kate told William everything she was struggling with. He let her talk until she was done. Kate had been right; he knew she felt bad, but because she spoke so little when she was feeling sick, he had no idea of the things that were really going on in her head. After this first shock, he was relieved when Kate told him about her plan: just to listen to her body and not wanting anything more than that; taking the day as it comes. 

‘’I’m glad you didn’t lose your brains over this ordeal,’’ he said at last, hoping to lighten the mood by making a joke. Kate nudged his shoulder in response. ‘’If I did lose them, I’d still be smarter than you,’’ at which they both fell in fits of uncontrollable laughter. Not that the joke was that funny, but it felt extremely good to laugh and make jokes about nothing in particular. They reached the palace in much higher spirits than in which they had left. However still a work in progress, it really was becoming a proper house to live in. Kate gazed in awe at the beautifully patterned walls and ceilings. 

‘’It’s becoming very close now,’’ she said. ‘’We have to make our mind up about the colours of the walls.’’ 

‘’How about bright purple?’’ William couldn’t resist.

‘’I think you can choose the colour of your office, leave the rest to me.’’ Without waiting for a response, Kate walked on to the room which was eventually going to be their kitchen, for which she already had very specific plans. She absolutely adored the kitchen she grew up with, back in Bucklebury and wanted to recreate that for herself her. It had to have a homey feeling, but be functional as well. Kate loved to cook, so she needed her space in the kitchen. In her head, the picture was all laid out; where the table should come, how big the counter had to be, which colours and materials the cabinets should be made of... She only hoped William would agree with her. When it came to making decisions like these, William didn’t like to decide about ten things at one time. He needed some time to think it through and picture it in his head, so Kate didn’t want to push it all in his direction at once. On her laptop, before she had fallen ill, she was working on a 3D model of what she had in mind. It was a thing she learned at university and still was useful to this day. In fact, she loved spending time decorating and furbishing her virtual home. She never was very good a just picking colours, she had to know how it would look like in the final ensemble. 

‘’What are you thinking about?’’ William asked. 

‘’Oh, nothing in particular, just how this will eventually be our kitchen.’’ 

‘’If I let you furbish this all by yourself, without me nagging about it –‘’ William started.

‘’Yeah -?’’

‘’Would you bake my favorite pies?’’ he ended cheekily. 

Kate laughed. ‘’That’s bribery.’’ 

‘’Well, if you think about it, it’s not bribery at all. Because you will bake those pies, even if I don’t let you pick the colours and furniture.’’

‘’So?’’

‘’So I lose regardless,’’ he winked. ‘’That’s how much I love you.’’

‘’Yes, I am very grateful,’’ Kate said sarcastically, ‘’for giving me such an opportunity.’’

‘’Well, then I choose the colours.’’ William shrugged.

‘’No, no!’’ Kate yelled, running towards William, who had already walked on. ‘’I’ll bake those pies, I’ll bake them!’’ 

‘’You know what I think?’’ William asked.

‘’What?’’

‘’When that kitchen is ready, you’ll never be coming out of it.’’ 

Kate slapped his stomach.

‘’Ouch!’’

‘’You deserved that.’’

When they were back at their own cottage, Kate went to take a nice hot bath and William started working on the dinner. He hadn’t been cooking for a long time and felt nervous in a weird way. Cooking should not make me feel this way, he thought. It’s just cooking. The dinner that he had planned wasn’t hard at all, just some pasta with a lot of vegetables; Kate needed to be fed with vitamins. As for desert he wanted to bake a couple of brownies, which they could eat in front of the television, watching one of their favorite shows on a DVD. He checked the time at his watch and decided he better start right away. 

‘’How does it taste?’’ William asked, with a slight hint of nervousness in his voice. 

‘’Fine, thanks for cooking, love.’’ Kate shoved another bite in her mouth. ‘’What, why?’’ She noticed William sighing out of sheer relief, but soon something dawned on her. ‘’You were nervous, weren’t you?’’ she teased. 

Grudgingly, William admitted this. ‘’If I messed this up, I was afraid you might throw up again because the food was inedible. I wanted to avoid that at all cost,’’ he mumbled, staring at his plate. 

‘’Hey, there is no reason to become shy all of a sudden,’’ Kate said with a sweet voice. ‘’That’s not how I know you.’’ She tried to cheer him up by making a joke, but it didn’t help much. William kept eating in silence. ‘’Honey, what’s the matter? Was it my joke? I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.’’

‘’No, it’s not that,’’ William spoke. ‘’It’s just – well, like you said, it’s not how you know me. I feel something in me has changed, since you got pregnant, and even more after this whole hospital adventure we were in, or rather, you were in. I just feel even more protective than I already was and that scares me, to be honest.’’

Kate didn’t know what to say. She had never had any problems with his want to control everything regarding their lives and his protectiveness for her. This behaviour reassured her actually, that William would do anything so she wouldn’t be harmed. ‘’I don’t understand,’’ she said at last. ‘’I never had any problem whatsoever with your protective behaviour.’’ 

William nodded. ‘’I know. It’s just that in a little while there will be an amazing addition to our family and I don’t know whether I could handle being responsible for him or her as well.’’

‘’You mean you think you won’t be a good Dad?’’ Kate still didn’t understand fully what William was trying to tell her. ‘’Because if that’s the point then –‘’

‘’No, that’s not it,’’ William interrupted her. ‘’It’s more that if anything happens with our child – and I am only speaking about the press – I don’t think I will ever be able to forgive myself for it.’’ This time, he looked Kate straight in the eye and she saw how much he was struggling. She felt pity for him. 

‘’You know how people always say it’s not the parents’ fault their kid broke their arm, leg or just has a bump on the head?’’

William nodded.

‘’It’s a part of life. And the press is a big part of our life. So we cannot prevent them from picturing our child. It’s simply impossible. Just like it is impossible to hope he or she will never break a limb or something. You have to come to terms with it and have peace with it.’’

William nodded again. It was always Kate who could talk sense into him when he had another silly idea planted in his head that made him insecure or miserable. This had been the situation since their university days and was still going strong. It was one of the many reasons he knew she was the one for him. She always understood why he was thinking like he did, even though she would never have said or thought it herself. A pause fell in their conversation. When eventually Kate stood up to gather to plates and start working on the dishes, William cried out, ‘’I have made brownies!’’ 

Kate was so surprised she almost let the plates fell out of her hands. ‘’You made what?’’ 

‘’Brownies! I totally forgot about them. There in the oven and should be ready by now.’’ 

The brownies were a big success. Particularly William was proud of his achievement, something Kate kept teasing him about, saying they were just brownies. But when William threatened to never make them again, she quickly came back to saying they tasted wonderful. Neither of them said it out loud, but both were glad the air had been cleared and they had spoken about all their insecurities at this moment. There would come many more when the birth would come closer, but for now, it felt good knowing what was going on in the other’s mind. And what was equally important, William and Kate could finally enjoy the pregnancy. William had taken a couple of days off work and stayed with his wife in London. Their days were filled with nothing in particular. Kate slept much the first week she was back home and William took over the things she usually took care of. Not because he was to manly to cook, clean or wash clothes, but simply because of his demanding job he never had the time for it. And he loved it. Just taking care of Kate and their house was a nice change after all the problems they had gone through. And just kept improving; she became restless again. Wanting to go out, taking long walks with Lupo along the beach, working out. But because they were still in London, this was not a reality. It was not safe to walk Lupo in the middle of the day in Hyde Park. But they kept firm on their decision to move back to Wales after the Christmas break at Balmoral, otherwise they would just keep travelling the country. And besides, Kate had her first engagement after announcing her pregnancy in just a couple of days. She was due to make an appearance at the Sports Personality of the Year event. It was only the night before she confided her nerves to William. 

‘’It will all go perfectly,’’ he said to her. ‘’You have picked out your dress weeks ago, even before you fell ill. You feel better and are much stronger. I’m sure you’ll nail it.’’ 

Kate just shrugged. ‘’I would feel more relaxed if you were there,’’ she mumbled. William couldn’t attend because he was going back to work – his break had taken long enough already. But Kate knew, even when he didn’t have to work, he couldn’t accompany her to all her engagements. Some charities were her own and she had to go on her own. It was better to just get it over with now. Although this were the words her mind kept reminding her, her heart spoke otherwise. 

‘’I know you are scared you will fall ill again and that everyone will notice,’’ William said, reading her mind impeccably. ‘’But I can assure you, that won’t happen.’’

‘’How do you know?’’ Kate asked a little more harsh than she had intended. 

‘’Because you haven’t thrown up in two weeks,’’ William stated simply. ‘’You can eat anything again, and you have eaten anything again. Your only job is to stay on that stage for a short while and that’s it. Nobody will expect you hang around for a long time when the award ceremony is over. They all know what you have been going through and they will all understand. Oh, and besides, you’ll make a surprise appearance, so the guests will be delighted they get to see you in the first place!’’ William was right of course, but that didn’t make the nerves go away. They only disappeared when she got out of that car and entered the building. Speaking on stage was still scary, but a good scary. It always gave her an adrenaline kick when she got on that platform and spoke into the microphone. And William’s words had been proven true. The athletes had been absolutely delighted she had handed out awards to them.

‘’How are you feeling now?’’ William asked, when Kate was back home again. 

‘’Tired, but otherwise okay.’’ 

William smiled at her. 

‘’It’s a nice prospective I don’t have anything planned for tomorrow,’’ Kate sighed and fell down on their bed. 

‘’Oh, don’t be too sure of that,’’ William said mysteriously. 

‘’What do you mean?’’ 

‘’Nothing. Just set your alarm, alright? I don’t want you to sleep in too much.’’


	10. Chapter 10

The next morning, William woke up early,even before the alarm beeped. He looked at the person right next to him and noticed Kate was still fast asleep. Quietly he slipped out of bed and undid the settings on the alarm. He would wake his wife himself after he was ready with the necessary preparations. Barefooted, with just his rope on, he made his way downstairs. When he sat at the counter with a steaming cup of coffee in front of him, his phone beeped. He rushed towards it and put it on mute. His phone made such an obnoxious noise; even from the kitchen it could wake Kate up. The text he had received came from his brother.

Everything is taken care of. Have fun!

William smiled to himself and texted back his thanks to Harry. He had asked his brother to help him carry out his little plan. He could do it himself, but being on the phone the whole time to make sure it all went as planned would make Kate suspicious. It was like her senses had become even better during her pregnancy. Maybe it was a nature kind of thing. William drank his coffee and made breakfast before he went upstairs again to wake Kate up. She shot up straight immediately, asking ‘’What are we going to do today?’’

‘’Good morning to you, too,’’ William grinned.

‘’Will!’’

‘’I won’t tell you. Then the whole concept of surprise is taken away.’’

‘’But –‘’

‘’You won’t win this, darling. Here, focus on your breakfast.’’ He shoved the plate that he had brought upstairs with him on her knees, practically pushing the spoon in her mouth to prevent her from asking more questions. He knew when she was going to make her puppy eyes, he would snap and tell her everything. He had to keep her distracted.

‘’How are you feeling?’’ he asked. He knew Kate was scared she would have a setback today, after her engagement from yesterday. He thought this was nonsense, she had done more intensive things than standing on the podium, handing out a couple of awards. She had jogged a little bit, walked Lupo and stood hours in the kitchen, trying out new recipes. But she had felt really nervous, insecure of herself. That whole process was surely more tiring than the actual evening.

Having her mouth full with cereal, Kate couldn’t speak without showering William with milk. Instead, she just shrugged, a gesture by which William didn’t get much wiser than he already was. He raised an eyebrow, a sign which Kate in return didn’t understand. Almost simultaneously they started laughing, resulting in the fact Kate spilled her milk after all.

‘’We are not very good in sign language,’’ William stated dryly.

‘’You can say that again.’’ Kate placed down her spoon and looked William in the eyes. ‘’I am feeling okay, I think. A little bit tired, but otherwise fine. Why do you ask? Do I need to be fully rested for today’s activities?’’ She again tried to get some information out of him, but he managed to keep his mouth shut.

‘’You go take a shower, I’ll pack the car.’’

‘’I hate you!’’

‘’We’ll see about that,’’ William mumbled as he made his way back downstairs.

Sometime later, fully dressed, William and Kate sat in their Land Rover. William was behind the wheel, Kate curled up next to him. She was in a big sulk, not liking not knowing what was coming. She stared out of the window, determined not to speak to William unless he told her where they were going. She didn’t understand a single bit. William hadn’t been in a hurry this morning, which meant they didn’t have to catch a flight or train or anything. But on the other hand, he didn’t like her tardiness when she was in the bathroom, so time did play a role. However which role, Kate had still to figure out. She was biting her tongue off, trying not to speak. It didn’t came natural to her. What frustrated her even more was that William was completely aware of the internal struggle she was fighting with herself. He was grinning as he overtook a large van on the highway.

‘’Stop that,’’ Kate said irritated. She turned to look at William to scold at him, but as soon as she saw his face she burst out laughing herself. This was ridiculous. She was being ridiculous. ‘’Sorry,’’ she added, slightly ashamed of herself.

‘’That’s okay,’’ William said cheerily. ‘’I am quite familiar with your quirks.’’

‘’But –‘’

‘’But I still won’t tell you,’’ he finished the sentence for her. ‘’Use your deductions skills, Sherlock.’’ He laughed out loud. Kate, who didn’t find this joke half as funny as William, decided to look out the window again, but she couldn’t help but over think the situation. The route William took was familiar; this was the drive from London to Anglesey. But they couldn’t be headed home, they had decided to stay in London until Christmas and then spend Christmas with her family in Bucklebury. Then why would they head up north now? If they were to spend Christmas at Balmoral, Kate would understand why William took her there. They would have some quiet time before the rest of the family visited. But clearly, this wasn’t the case. This was driving her crazy, so Kate decided not to think about any longer and just to chat with William. Her husband kept his guard though, never knowing when Kate suddenly started asking questions anyway. But she didn’t.

When they had been driving for almost four hours, Kate got suspicious. ‘’Where on earth are you taking me?’’

Deciding he could tell her know, William said simply, ‘’Home.’’

‘’So Anglesey?’’ Kate couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

‘’Yes.’’

‘’Why?’’

‘’I hoped you would be a little more enthusiastic.’’ He didn’t sounded bitter, but not entirely happy either.

‘’I don’t understand,’’ Kate spoke slowly. ‘’Why would you drive, for instance? We could’ve taken the helicopter.’’

‘’I know,’’ William replied. ‘’But this way is the safest. Nobody knows where we are. And when I say nobody, I mean the media. They always pick up some rumor, and when I drive the car myself, there is nothing suspicious about it.’’

‘’And why did you decide to go back to Wales?’’

‘’Because you want to,’’ William said simply. He turned his head a little, so he could look at Kate.

‘’Yes, I do,’’ she said quietly. She missed the silence and the simplicity of their lives there.

‘’We can hang out there for a few days, and then we take the heli back to Buckingham Palace for the Christmas lunch. Then we’ll go to your parents’ house. But before the festivities kick in, we have some days just for us. How does that sound?’’

‘’Perfect,’’ Kate smiled, stroking William’s thigh.

‘’That’s what I thought.’’

More relaxed, now she knew what was coming, Kate slept through the last part of their journey homewards. She didn’t even wake up when William pulled up the driveway and stopped the car; he had to wake her up. Inside, he smiled, anticipating Kate’s reaction when she’d open the door. Acting like everything was normal, he walked behind his wife, carrying their bags over his shoulder. Lupo was trotting behind him, happy to be in Anglesey again as well. Here he had much more freedom than in London; here he could roam the property freely and William and Kate took him on long walks.

Kate turned around. ‘’Do you have the keys?’’

‘’Yes.’’ William put down the bags and searched for the key in his pocket. He opened the door and said, ‘’After you.’’ After Kate had set foot in the hallway, she froze. She looked around her, taking it all in. Then she turned to face William, who looked as innocent as could possibly be. He decided to play the game. ‘’What the hell is all this?’’ he asked indignantly. Kate ignored him and walked on, to the kitchen, then to the living room. Quietly, all by herself, she wondered at the beauty that was their house. William was leaning against the door post with a smile on his face, watching Kate, who was still gazing in silent amazement. ‘’Do you like it?’’ William asked.

Kate startled, forgotten she wasn’t here all by herself. ‘’Did you do this?’’ she asked him strictly. ‘’Another of your surprises?’’

‘’Of course I did this. Or rather, I took care Harry made the arrangements. Our housekeeper did it, actually.’’

‘’I love it,’’ Kate said, beaming. ‘’And I love you more.’’ She put her arms around her and leaned against his chest, looking around. The house was decorated with the most beautiful Christmas decorations. In the corner where they usually sat at night stood a large, green, wonderfully smelling Christmas tree, with lights all over it. The lights twinkled and gave the room a happy glow. Wreaths hang on the wall, with balls beside them. A picture of a snowman was sprayed on the glass. After weeks of being away from home, staying in Bucklebury, the hospital and Nottingham Cottage, the decorations made sure it felt like their own home immediately. William kissed the top of Kate’s head. ‘’I’m going to put the kettle on.’’

Kate walked towards their bedroom, wanting to take a shower after the long, long drive. The upstairs rooms weren’t as heavily decorated as downstairs. A miniature tree stood in their bedroom, but that was about it. Kate let the warm water stream over her body and relaxed. She felt better already, knowing she got to spend a couple of days here. The moment they had to permanently move to London was dreaded by both her and William. They loved it so much up here. Sure, it was cold during the winter months, but it was rainy in London. Here they could go freely wherever they wanted, without the problem of privacy or security. In London that simply was not an option; there were too many risks, too many people. No, it was a perfect idea of William, to go up here for a couple of days. Kate washed the shampoo out of her hair and stepped out of the shower. When she came downstairs, two steaming mugs of tea and a bunch of Christmas chocolates stood in front of the television. Kate grinned, a thing which didn’t go unnoticed by William.

‘’Thought you might fancy those,’’ he smiled.

‘’You know me too well. I have to start working out again. I’ll start tomorrow.’’

Kate let herself fall down on the couch and pulled the plate with sweets closer.

‘’Hey, I also want some of those, you know,’’ William frowned, but couldn’t help smiling at the same time. Of course she would eat all the chocolates.

Kate swallowed an enormous amount of chocolate and asked ‘’What are you gonna to these days?’’

‘’Work,’’ William answered. ‘’I can’t come in between Grandma’s Christmas lunch and actual Christmas, so I am going to work a 36 hour shift, starting tomorrow at 5 am. Then I sleep and we can take the heli back to London.

Kate did as if she was very disappointed. ‘’So you are going to leave me all by myself?’’

‘’Of course not, you have Lupo,’’ William winked. ‘’Don’t act like you don’t like it.’’

That was true. Of course, she had rather William would stay with her, but she knew that wasn’t an option. He had a job. But if she had to choose to be back in London by herself or here, the choice was an easy one. She was already looking forward to walking with Lupo and running along the shore. She smiled at her husband. ‘’Of course I don’t mind. I will be at the beach the whole time anyway, maybe I can see you fly. I’ll wave.’’

William laughed out loud. This was an inside joke of theirs. He knew fully well Kate always tried to spot him when she was outside and he was flying, but it never had succeeded. He always was somewhere else. This didn’t stop Kate from trying, though. ‘’Good idea,’’ he said instead. ‘’I’ll wave back.’’

The next few days they spent at Anglesey were reminiscent of the early days of their marriage. William worked as a search and rescue pilot and Kate was at home, cleaning, cooking and enjoying the outdoors. She slowly started working on her sports regime and loved the feeling of tired muscles and straining limbs. She hadn’t dared going for a run, thinking this might be a little too much for her recovering body yet. But when that afternoon the forecast told her next day would be sunny, she decided she would go for it. She would bring Lupo to the beach and to just have fun with him. She muted the television – she didn’t care much for commercials about razors – and continued reading the recipe that was lying before her on the kitchen counter. William would be home tomorrow night and she wanted to make him a nice dinner. It had been a long time since she had cooked something fancy, so this was a good start to pick things up again. Scribbling down all the ingredients she needed from the store, Kate remembered the last time she was in there. That was when it all had started, suddenly feeling faint in some aisle with vague products. When she thought back at this, she wondered how she had gotten home and do all the things she usually did. I should have taken rest earlier, she thought. For a minute, she felt angry with herself, but then remembered the words her mother used quite often when they were little kids and had made a mistake. With hindsight, everything is more logical, or easier to decide, she used to say. But at that moment it doesn’t feel that way, so it’s no point being angry about it. From now on, Kate decided, she would let that awful period go and start enjoying all the good things that came with being pregnant. Feeling elated and special all the time, for instance. Looking down at her belly, not to check whether the hint of a bump was visible, but just to look at her child growing in there. It didn’t matter she couldn’t see a thing, but the idea was nice.

Running the next morning cleared Kate’s head completely. She was re-energized and ready for what was coming. Dancing through the kitchen, she was making the dinner she had planned for her and William. She had turned the music on so loud, she never heard William enter the house, so she startled when she suddenly felt him standing behind her, placing his hands on her hips, moving along with her body. Kate put the knife down and closed her eyes, relishing the moment. She got goose bumps when William whispered in her ear. ‘’Wanna take this upstairs?’’

Kate turned around and put her arms around his neck. She kissed him tenderly. ‘’Well, I don’t have a problem with that.’’

After all those days feeling sick and gross in the hospital, William made her feel beautiful again. It had been a while since they last had sex and Kate realized how much she had missed it, feeling that close with somebody. She smiled against his chest lazily, while William played with her hair. ‘’Want to take a shower together?’’ he asked cheekily.

Kate laughed. ‘’You can’t get enough? I have to finish dinner, have something special planned for tonight.’’

‘”Really?’’

‘’Nothing fancy, just a nice dinner. Something I have never made before, so I want to do it right.’’ She nudged him. ‘’You go take a shower, you’re all sweaty.’’

‘’Your fault,’’ William beamed. He disappeared into the bathroom. Kate put on her clothes again and resumed making dinner. It turned out not to be that hard, actually. In the time it took Kate to perfect the dinner, William had set the table and – sensing Kate’s mood – lightened some candles.

‘’Ooh, this is romantic,’’ she said surprised when she walked in, carrying two plates. When they were eating, she got a little more serious. Placing her hand on his, she said, ‘’Thank you for taking me up here, Wills.’’

William looked lovingly into his wife’s eyes. ‘’I knew it would do you good. Two weeks ago you were this mess in the hospital and now you are almost yourself again.’’ He lightly squeezed her hand. ‘’You ready for the days to come?’’

Kate nodded. ‘’But I have to admit I am kind of glad we are celebrating Christmas in Bucklebury this year. It is always very busy at Sandringham. But I am really looking forward to it!’’

When they had finished their plates, William started working on the dishes and Kate took Lupo out for a little walk. ‘’You want to watch anything tonight?’’ William asked her when she was back.

‘’Oh, you pick one this time,’’ she replied. ‘’You always let me make the choice. I don’t mind, but let it not be Lord of the Rings.’’

William grinned. Kate always fell asleep watching those movies. He chose another one and put it in. Kate snuggled up to him on the couch. Completely in peace with themselves and the outside world, they enjoyed their last night together. It would take a while before evenings like this came around again: staying with Kate’s parents, there always was something to do.

The next few days were packed with activities. First, there was the traditional pre-Christmas lunch, held at Buckingham Palace. The Queen didn’t want to invite every member of her extended family to Balmoral. She was too old for so much people in one place. Instead, she organized a lunch every year, so they would still be together around Christmas with the whole family. Of course, Kate got an enormous amount of attention. Everyone wanted to know how she was doing. William noticed Kate was glowing, looking very happy and content. She chatted cheerily with everybody, happy to share her experiences as a pregnant woman. The older ladies gave her all sorts of advice, ranging from serious tips to baker wives tales. Soon, the women had all gathered around one table and talked about only one thing: Kate’s pregnancy. From her side of the room, the Queen looked at them with a smile on her face. William noticed and walked over to her.

‘’It looks like she is doing really well again,’’ she spoke to him.

William nodded, sitting on the chair next to her. ‘’She does, but she isn’t there yet. If you look closely, you can see she is getting a bit tired already.’’

‘’That is to be expected,’’ she answered. ‘’It was quite something she went through. Do you take good care of her?’’

‘’What? Gran, of course!’’ Slightly indignant, he looked up to her, but she only smiled.

‘’Good, that’s what I wanted to hear.’’

William wanted to make a joke about it, but at that moment the butler arrived and announced lunch was being served. William took his seat, like everybody else did. He was quite hungry, so tucked in immediately. Harry, who was sitting beside him, chuckled.

‘’Are you not being fed in Anglesey?’’

‘’Shut it, Harry. Yesterday I have finished a 36 hour shift, flying all the time. I ate yesterday night, I slept and now I eat again. I need some food to recover from working so long.’’

Kate grinned.

‘’What?’’ William asked.

‘’Oh, you always bite when Harry attacks you with a stupid joke. It’s only to provoke you a bit, and you always fall for it.’’ Smiling, she took a bite of her own food. Harry winked at her. William, not knowing whether he should laugh along or be indignant about his wife and brother teasing him, went for the neutral option and continued eating. After he while, he noticed Kate had stopped eating. Her fork and knife were lying untouched on her plate and she was staring in the space. He softly placed her hand on her thigh; she woke from her thoughts.

‘’Are you okay?’’ he asked.

She smiled, but William could see this wasn’t a real genuine smile. ‘’Yes,’’ she replied. ‘’Just not used to eat so much in such a short time. I think I am finished.’’

‘’Good decision. This won’t take too long now. We should be driving home within the next hour.’’

Kate smiled gratefully at him. She didn’t want to complain to him, when he was clearly in his element, meeting all his family at once, but she did feel tired. When they were by themselves, she was alright, she could cope. But now, with so many people and so much noise surrounding her for a couple of hours, it started to take its toll on her. She craved for a short nap, or just a shower. When the lunch was over, William would drive them to her parents’ house, where they would stay a week or two during Christmas. After that, it was back on duty: William went back to work and she had a couple of engagements planned. That was when life really would get back to normal. Ever since she found out she was pregnant, it had been one big rollercoaster. So deep lost in her own thoughts, she hadn’t noticed it was all over until she felt a hand on her back.

‘’You’re ready?’’ William asked. ‘’Shall we go home?’’

‘’Yes, please,’’ Kate replied. ‘’Let me say goodbye to everyone first, though.’’

A couple of hours later, when they were in Bucklebury for the second time that month, Kate got upstairs to take a nap. William sat down at the kitchen counter, watching Carole prepare dinner. It had been a while since he had some time alone with his mother in law; he always enjoyed chatting with her. He loved the normality of the Middleton household. This time of year, Carole baked all sorts of pastries and pies. He always gained some weighed when he spent the holidays here, but that didn’t hold him back. It was just too delicious.

‘’How’s Kate doing?’’ Carole asked William. She hadn’t gotten a chance to speak to her daughter, who only wanted to sleep.

William shrugged. ‘’I think she is putting on a brave face. Today was really tiring for her. And she struggled with the food, I noticed.’’

‘’Mmm.’’ Carole thought for a while. ‘’Are you worried?’’

‘’I don’t know. When we were together in Nottingham Cottage and Anglesey, things seemed to go better. She carefully did some minor workouts and seemed like she had more energy. She ate everything. So I don’t entirely understand.’’

‘’Maybe she has taken on things too soon again,’’ Carole stated simply. ‘’Maybe she was so happy being out of the hospital and feeling better, she just didn’t notice her body couldn’t handle all the things she have been doing.’’

‘’But why didn’t she ever spoke to me about that?’’ William said, slightly frustrated. ‘’It’s been three weeks!’’

‘’Will, don’t get angry. It is very well possible Kate herself hasn’t thought this through like we are doing now. And if I know my daughter a little bit, I think this is the case. She just got head over heels again, like always when she is happy. I’m telling you, she will be the one bringing up this subject herself.’’

William sighed. ‘’I only hope so, Carole. I don’t want another hospital drama. I want her to enjoy her pregnancy.’’

‘’It takes time,’’ Carole stated. ‘’She has been dehydrated. She didn’t eat for days, while she had to feed two persons. You can’t expect that to be over in just a few weeks. That’s ridiculous.’’

‘’I know.’’

‘’And now you go get out into the garden and gather those vegetables and spices for me.’’ Carole said strictly, knowing she would lighten his mood by this.

‘’Yes, Your Majesty,’’ William replied, rushing out of the door and leaving a grinning Carole behind. After he had helped Carole with dinner, he went to Kate’s bedroom to check whether she was up again. He was lucky, she had just gotten out of the shower. If you looked closely, a hint of a bump was visible. She was now almost three months pregnant. William bent over and kissed his wife’s stomach, a gesture that made her giggle and blush at the same time.

‘’Did you sleep well?’’ he asked her, standing up straight again.

‘’Yes, I did. I really needed that.’’ Kate turned away from him to gather her clothes, which were lying on the bed.

‘’But -?’’

‘’But I hadn’t expected it, you know, to be so tired, just after a lunch. But then the more I thought about it, the clearer it became to me.’’

William nodded along. He knew where she was going.

‘’I just need some time,’’ she finished. ‘’Maybe I have gotten back on my feet too soon.’’

‘’No, I don’t think that.’’

‘’What do you mean?’’ Kate asked.

‘’Well, it is good for you to be back on your feet again. Just sitting at home doesn’t suit you in the least. But I think you made too much of a head start. Slow things down a little. And this is the excellent time for that, being her, with no obligations. You can just do the things you like. And if you’re tired, you’ll have a nap. Nobody will make a fuss about that.’’

Kate, who was now fully dressed, smiled at her husband.

‘’What is it?’’

‘’We are like those old married couples, who know precisely what the other one is thinking and says the same thing. I had thought of that myself, actually, but you were the one to phrase it so eloquently.’’

William grinned. ‘’That’s what you get from delivering so many speeches.’’

That evening, Pippa came home as well. James would be in London for a few more days, he would join them after the weekend. Kate absolutely loved to be living with her sister in one house again. It reminded her of the days she and Pippa shared an apartment in Chelsea. William made himself busy with some vague things, so Kate could chat with her sister freely, discussing all girly things.

‘’How are those mood swings coming?’’ Pippa asked, grinning.

As a reply, she got a slap on her arm from Kate.

‘’Ouch!’’

‘’You deserved that.’’

‘’So I guess I can safely say your mood swings are in full swing.’’

Kate scowled at her, but then burst out laughing. When she had her breath back, she said, ‘’I haven’t really noticed anything yet. But I am afraid it will come anyway. Before I fell sick, the only thing I noticed from being pregnant was that I was tired all the time.’’

‘’I think you will handle it just fine,’’ Pippa said, a little more serious now. ‘’I mean, you know, you got through that whole hospital episode. You can deal with everything else this pregnancy brings you, I’m sure of that.’’

Kate smiled gratefully. ‘’Thank you.’’

‘’Do you want to know the sex?’’

Kate shook her head.

‘’Why not?’’

‘’Because we want it to be a surprise. And the advantage is, when we don’t know, there is no risk somebody else will know and make the news public. We will find out when the baby is born. And whatever it will be, you will still be its auntie.’’

Pippa’s eyes started sparkling. ‘’That’s true. His or hers only aunt, now I come to think of it.’’

‘’Yup, true. And two uncles.’’

Pippa started giggling.

‘’What?’’

‘’Think about it. You want to raise your baby to be a decent, polite human being. But he or she will have James and Harry as uncles. It’s a lost case, already.’’

Kate laughed. ‘’You really are a big help, you know that, Pippa. I have to raise the future King or Queen of Great Britain, and all you think about is that Harry and James are going to mess it up.’’

‘’Do you really see it that way?’’

Kate smiled. ‘’No, in fact I don’t. Wills and I discussed it at length when we were trying to conceive. We want to start a family first and foremost because it is a dream we’ve both been having for a long time. We look forward to be a little family of three, to play with our child and give him all the love we have. We don’t want to have a baby because of the monarchy’s continuity. Of course we worry sometimes, William a bit more than me, because the weight that will rest on this child’s shoulders will be huge, but that doesn’t stop us. Look at Will himself. He struggled for some time, but he turned out alright, heir-wise. He is ready. And we aren’t planning on breaking up or having a bad marriage, like his parents went through. So we hope to give him or her a stable home.’’

Pippa nodded, silently. The conversation had turned very serious all of a sudden. On moments like these, she suddenly realized again in what role her sister was. ‘’I guess what you are trying to say is Harry will be an excellent uncle?’’

‘’Exactly,’’ Kate nodded. ‘’He knows perfectly well what it takes to grow up in the Royal Family and being the brother of the heir, he can help. Provide another perspective. So I am all confident about that.’’

Pippa patted her knee. ‘’You are being very mature now, Katie. Let’s fill you up on some wine, maybe it’ll loosen you.’’

Kate laughed, but before she could say she wasn’t allowed to drink alcohol, Pippa had left for the kitchen. It was strange, her sister was sensible enough to know you aren’t supposed to be drinking in you pregnancy.

‘’Here.’’ Pippa gave her a glass filled with a dark juice, which looked suspiciously like red wine.

‘’What is it?’’ Kate asked.

‘’Trust me,’’ Pippa winked.

She had brought grape juice.


	11. Chapter 11

As Christmas came and went, so did the winter season. It was the beginning of the spring, April was halfway through already. Kate was now five months pregnant and looked like it, too. Her bump had grown significantly the last weeks, a development William was very happy about. 

‘’Being pregnant suits you,’’ he told her one evening. ‘’You look absolutely gorgeous.’’ 

Kate raised one eyebrow. ‘’Do you mean I don’t look gorgeous when I am not pregnant?’’ 

William chuckled. ‘’Of course, you always manage to turn one of my compliments into something bad. Forget what I said, you look absolutely hideous.’’ 

Kate laughed. ‘’I just don’t feel that pretty, having this huge bump.’’

‘’You don’t have a huge bump,’’ William interjected. 

‘’It feels huge. You be five months pregnant, then tell me how you feel.’’ 

‘’Well, maybe we can try that experiment with the next one,’’ William stated rather matter-of-factly, in this way reacting to his wife’s absurd comment.

Kate was completely thrown of course. ‘’The next, the nex – what?’’ she spluttered. ‘’William, are you out of your mind? I haven’t even given birth to this child yet!’’ She looked ready to attack him for daring to make such a remark. William walked over to her, seeing he may have gone too far. Kate’s hormones were all over the place these days, so maybe she took his joke the wrong way. He wrapped his arms around her. ‘’Shhh, I didn’t mean it that way. I was just joking.’’ 

Kate, still looking a little bit horrid, nodded against his chest. She composed herself quickly, though. ‘’Yeah absolutely. If we have another child, you can carry that one for nine months.’’

‘’Deal.’’

Kate freed herself from William strong arms. ‘’I am going to bed, you coming?’’ 

‘’In a moment, I want to finish this first.’’ He had been reading through some notes for a charity visit. 

When Kate had gotten through her bedtime routine and lay in bed, she tried reading a book, but her mind just wasn’t in it. After a while, she put the book down – she hadn’t turned a single page – and put her hands on her ever growing belly. She thought back to the past few months, which had passed really quickly. Christmas seemed a very long time ago. Kate smiled back at the thought how far she had gotten since then, how much progress she had made. Then, she thought she had recovered from her morning sickness condition and the brief hospital stay. Now she knew better; now she was really back on track. It had taken quite some weeks to have her energy and positive spirits back. Life just couldn’t be better. She closed her eyes and tried to get comfortable. Already it was kind of a struggle to sleep on her side, like she was used to do. In a short while, she would only be able to sleep on her back. Just as she shifted the blankets, she felt a funny feeling in her stomach. Kate tensed immediately, placing both her hands back on her bump, near her stomach. As soon as it came, the feeling passed. Kate massaged her stomach lightly, trying to remember what she ate. William had made dinner, and he had assured her the food was all well cooked. She had actually enjoyed the meal, something that didn’t happen very often when her husband was busy in the kitchen unsupervised. Just as she sank back into the cushions again, trying to regulate her breathing with deep breaths, it happened for the second time. Now she felt it harder and noticed it didn’t came from her stomach, but from deeper below that. She started to panic, flashbacks of the hospital rushing to her mind. But then, instinct took over. She knew what was going on inside there.

‘’Will!’’ she shrieked frantically. ‘’WILL!’’ 

After just seconds, but what felt like hours, William bursted into their bedroom, worry all over his face.

‘’Kate! What’s the matter?’’ He fell on his knees beside her. ‘’Speak to me,’’ he ordered. ‘’Tell me what’s wrong.’’ 

Kate, who was still clutching her bump, started to cry and shook her head. William looked at her, puzzled; the emergency seemed over. ‘’Kate, honey –‘’ he tried again. 

Kate opened her eyes, which she had shut tightly, and looked at him. When she saw the worry spread out all over his face, she realized how scary she must have sound to him. 

‘’Will, I am so sorry,’’ she whispered through her tears. She tried to hold them back. ‘’I’m fine. I was, I mean – the baby is kicking.’’ She anxiously waited for his reaction. 

William’s eyes went wide. ‘’What?! Are you serious? Can I feel? How –‘’

Before he could finish his sentence, Kate took the hand William was holding in front of his mouth and placed it on her belly, on the spot where she last felt the tiny kick. She looked at William. She could almost feel his heart flutter with happiness when the baby kicked for the third time, hard enough for William to feel it as well. She knew her husband was very committed to her pregnancy, but Kate was still surprised to see his tears well up. 

‘’Katie,’’ he whispered, his voice broken, ‘’this is amazing.’’ Kate beamed back at him, and William squeezed her hand. ‘’This is so real,’’ he said. 

Kate giggled. 

‘’You know what I mean. We saw the baby on the ultrasound two times now, and your belly is growing, but to feel him or her moving inside you is just –‘’ But apparently, what it was could not be said with words that covered what he was feeling in this particular moment. Instead of trying to form his words, he leaned in to Kate and gave her a lingering kiss.   
‘’Hmmmm,’’ she mumbled. ‘’I hope he kicks more often if you give me kisses like that.’’ She could feel William smile against her lips, before he started kissing her again and again.

After that night, the baby started kicking more frequently, also in places and on times it wasn’t at all convenient for Kate. But not once did she complain, too much enjoying the wonder that was going on inside her. April was shaping up to be a busy month for Kate; she had quite a few engagements to attend. The one she was looking forward to the most was a visit to the Warner Bros. Studios, particularly the Harry Potter section. She absolutely adored the books and movies and wasn’t ashamed to admit it. In fact, her whole family was as obsessed with the young wizard and his struggle against all that was evil. When they were all still living at home, they often had lengthy discussions about unimportant details, discussions that could sometimes even lead to fights when they couldn’t agree with each other. Smiling, Kate thought back to those times. Sometimes she missed her brother and sister so much, she longed to be living back at home again. But when her baby kicked, she suddenly remembered she was a grown up and soon to be a parent. She and William would make their own beautiful memories as a family, she was sure of that. And as much as she was frightened when William casually mentioned having another child that evening, she knew deep inside her that she wanted more than one child. And William wanted that as well. They had still some discussions about two or three children, she favoring having three, William liking two better. He often said two was enough, three would be a handful to handle. 

Kate caught herself daydreaming and tried to focus again on the binder that was lying in front of her. She sat at the kitchen table, going through all of the notes of her next engagements. She always wanted to be prepared, to know what was going on at the places she visited. She hoped her baby would hold still, so she could do her work properly. But just when she got her concentration flowing again, William entered, looking knackered. He had worked a long shift the past two days and by the look of him he hadn’t had a chance to catch up on some sleep. Kate jumped up so suddenly, her chair fell back, landing on the floor with a crash. She quickly checked whether it was still in one piece and then walked over to her husband.

‘’Wills,’’ she stated, putting her arms around him. He let his head fall down on his shoulder with no protest whatsoever and sighed deeply. Kate glanced at the clock above the refrigerator. If he hadn’t gotten any sleep, he had worked 48 hours back to back. 

‘’Hey,’’ William managed to bring out. He was so tired his whole body ached. He just wanted to sleep, take a shower and eat something. It didn’t matter in what order. 

Kate easily shrugged the role of patron off and glided into a loving and caring wife, although she sounded pretty strict when she gave William instructions. ‘’Go and lie down in bed.’’ 

William, puzzled at these firm words, said, ‘’What? How – what do you mean?’’ 

Kate smiled at him. ‘’Just like I said. Make yourself comfortable in bed. I’ll make some dinner for you.’’

‘’I am not hungry,’’ William replied.

‘’Yes, you are.’’ 

William, too tired to argue, walked out of the kitchen, back to the hallway and then made his way upstairs. He chucked all of his clothes in one corner of the room, only slightly feeling guilty Kate had to pick them all up and put them in the hamper. All he could think about was how much he wanted to lie down in his bed. Just as he glided beneath the blankets, he realized what he did to Kate when she had to pick up his clothing. Although she could still bend over, it wasn’t the kind of thing a husband let do his pregnant wife, no matter how tired he was. So he stepped back on the cold floor again and started to gather his dirty clothes. Having them rolled up in his arms as one big package, he tried to open the door to the bathroom with his left foot, not able to use his hands. Then all the clothes would fall down on the floor again and he could start over. But instead of opening the door, William lost his balance and dropped everything he held in his arms. ‘’Shit!’’ he yelled out loud, so loud Kate could hear him from downstairs. He could hear her come up to see what had happened. 

‘’What’s the wrong?’’ she asked worried. William almost never swore, that behaviour being cut out by his formal upbringing. So Kate was a bit surprised when her husband explained the situation to her. 

‘’Dropped my clothes when I tried to open the door with my foot.’’

Kate stared. On the one hand, she felt sorry for him because he looked like a sad puppy. But on the other hand, she wished she had been there to see him struggling. She stifled a giggle and made it sound like a cough. ‘’What were you trying to open the door with your foot for?’’ 

William, bending down to gather his clothes for the second time, simply said, ‘’My hands were full with these dirty things.’’ 

‘’Let me help you, then,’’ Kate said softly. ‘’I know you are very, very tired, so tired you can’t think rationally anymore. So why won’t you just –‘’

‘’Because!’’ 

‘’Because what?’’ 

‘’Because I chucked all my clothes in a corner and didn’t feel guilty about it. That makes me a bad husband, hoping his wife will clean up after him. And then I got in bed and realized I shouldn’t let you bend over, whilst picking up the mess I’ve made so I felt even a worse husband. So that’s why I did it myself and it went wrong and here I am know,’’ he rambled. ‘’And you are helping me anyway.’’ He had gathered the clothes and looked at the door, figuring out a new way of opening it without using his hands. But Kate beat him to it, opening the door herself. When he had finally succeeded in what should have been a very easy task, Kate took control of the situation again. 

“And now you get into that bed and if you speak of yourself as a bad husband one more time, you don’t get that dinner.’’ She turned around, her hair flicking back as she did so and left the room. William couldn’t help but chuckle. Just when he lay down in bed for the second time, Kate come up again, carrying a tray with a steaming bowl of soup balancing on it, accompanied by a large chunk of bread and some cookies. William grinned. Although it was a complete mismatch, soup with cookies, he loved to snack on those after a long shift. Gratefully, he accepted his food and started to shove it down his throat. He could practically feel the blisters appearing on his tongue. Kate watched him, amused, from her own side of the bed. 

‘’You okay?’’ she asked him. By the look of him, there could come steam out of his ears now really soon. 

William nodded, inhaling deep breaths with the hope the soup would cool this way. It helped only a little. Kate tried snuggling up to him, which made the task of heating a hot bowl of soup in bed even harder. When William had swallowed an enormous spoonful, he said, ‘’Katie, I will never finish this when lie against my chest. I can barely move my arms. Kate grunted something unintelligible and moved back to her own mattress.   
‘’What?’’ William said.

‘’I haven’t seen you in two days and then you won’t let me snuggle up next to you.’’ 

William smiled. Her mood swings were fully activated these days. One day she could be perfectly content with the situation, watching him eat soup and not caring about the mess he had made with his clothes and then the next second she would act all grumpy because he had to finish his dinner before he would starve to death. And if he was right, it wouldn’t take too long for Kate to turn around and realize she overreacted a little bit. 

And indeed, Kate turned around to face him and mumbled, ‘’Sorry. Hormones.’’ 

William smiled at her. ‘’I know. I don’t mind. I am going to miss those hormones of yours.’’

‘’Don’t be stupid,’’ Kate chuckled. ‘’You never know what to expect from me these days. I could react really strange on something really normal.’’

‘’Well, at least life isn’t boring, then,’’ William said airily. 

Kate smiled at him. ‘’Will it be boring for you when I have given birth and react like a normal person again?’’

William shook his head. ‘’Of course not, because then we will be parents and nothing ever will be the same again.’’ He put his bowl away – he had finally finished his soup – and leaned into Kate to give her bump a kiss. 

‘’Get back to your own side,’’ Kate said.

‘’What, why?’’ William asked indignantly.

‘’Because then I can finally snuggle up to you and fall asleep in your arms.’’

‘’Yes, Your Highness,’’ William joked, but wanting to hold Kate more than anything else.

William had some days off after his shift from last night, so when they woke the next morning they knew it would be a relaxed couple of days before the hassle began again. William would return to work for one more shift and then they had a series of engagements to attend in London. One of them was that visit to the Warner Bros. studios. The spring had finally kicked in properly, so William had a lovely day planned for the two of them, and Lupo, of course. Kate always slept in these days, sleeping as much as she could before it was too uncomfortable for her to lie in bed for a long time. He knew she already couldn’t sleep on her side anymore, without the feeling she was crushing the baby. This couldn’t happen, he knew that, but Kate just couldn’t sleep anymore in that position. And when their baby would be born, they were going to see many, many sleepless nights, he was told. If he was very honest with himself, he didn’t look forward to that as much as he did to becoming a father in general, but he hoped he would take it all in his stride when his child was actually born. You always hear those cliché, corny comments from new Dads talking about all those feelings they felt, of which they didn’t know they were capable. He had always snorted, in silence, of course, when he had heard something like that, but now he already sensed those sayings were at least partly true. He felt more emotional already, more involved to anything that happened to Kate and her physical wellbeing. Not that he didn’t feel that way before, but it was different. Before, she would go out grocery shopping or walking Lupo or just anything and he didn’t think twice about it. Now he always hoped she would make it home safe and he was very aware of that feeling. He was actually glad he had emergency after emergency in his last shift, so he hadn’t had a chance to let his mind wander and think about Kate sitting at home and playing all kinds of scenarios in his head of things that could go wrong. 

‘’What are you thinking about?’’ Kate had appeared in the kitchen, already fully dressed.

William, who didn’t hear her enter, nearly got a heart attack. Speaking about things that could go wrong. Pushing that thought to the back of his head, he said, ‘’Jesus, Kate, don’t ever do that to me again!’’ He put down the knife he was holding with a little more force than necessary and turned around.

Kate looked at him in amazement. ‘’What are you talking about?’’

‘’Making me jump up like that! Please announce yourself first or something.’’ William took a deep breath and allowed his heart rate to slow back to normal.

Kate chuckled. ‘’I did. I spoke to you, asked you if you could put some cheese on my sandwich, not just ham and tomatoes, like usual. Then I said I would go and get our boots ready and then I got back into the kitchen.’’

William stared. ‘’You’re joking.’’

‘’Nope,’’ Kate grinned. ‘’You were far, far away, my dear.’’ 

William grumbled something. Then he packed all their food in his bag and swung it over his shoulder. ‘’Let’s go.’’

They drove to a part of the beach they knew it would most likely be quiet. You had to really know the place to discover this part of the shore. The entrance was hidden between a few bushes and you had to Tarzan your way through. Kate had discovered this place by accident and since then it had been their own little secret. They had never seen anybody but their selves here. When Lupo was still a puppy, Kate had lost him when she walked him close by this spot. He had spotted some birds and had run after them. Kate, instead, had run after her little dog. She had seen him dive between the rags of the bushes planted at the side of the road and decided, if she ever wanted to see her dog again, she had to go into them as well. But instead of more bushes, like she expected, there was a hidden gap and she appeared to be on a beach. Lupo was already done chasing the birds and was swimming in the sea. Kate had remembered the spot and she and William were both very pleased with this little place. Lupo already knew where they were headed, so as soon as William opened the boot of his car, he jumped right out and made his way to the beach. William and Kate followed suit. 

‘’Tell me when you want to sit down,’’ William said to Kate. He was afraid too much walking might tire her quickly. 

But Kate smiled reassuringly to her husband. ‘’I will. And don’t worry.’’

William shrugged. ‘’From now on I will always worry until I tell you otherwise.’’ He tried to make a joke out of it, but he knew Kate was looking at him. And he knew she saw the truth in his eyes.

‘’Hey,’’ she said softly. ‘’What’s the matter? You concerned about me?’’ 

William shrugged again, not wanting to discuss this topic while they had their lovely morning stroll. 

‘’Tell me,’’ Kate urged him. 

‘’It’s no big deal,’’ he said eventually. ‘’It’s just – this awareness I have.’’ He stopped speaking, but Kate let him think. She remained silent. 

‘’I always thought those stories were clichés.’’ As soon as he heard himself form these words, he regretted it. Kate wouldn’t understand a single thing he was talking about and he would thus upset her and her raging hormones. He sighed. He never had trouble forming thought before, but now everything seemed much more difficult.

Kate put her arm through his. ‘’It’s gonna be okay, sweetie. You don’t have to be so insecure about it.’’ 

William got angry when she called him that, but at the moment he opened his mouth to reply to this insult – in his eyes – he realized she was actually right. That was precisely how he was acting. Thinking everything through too much, worrying too much. That hospital episode messed him up more than he thought. Instead of reacting indignantly, he squeezed Kate’s hand. ‘’You’re right. I don’t know what it is.’’

‘’You need to stop worrying about me.’’

William stared at her. She knew? He thought he had hid it well enough.

‘’I am perfectly able of going to the store or walking Lupo by myself.’’

She knew.

‘’How did you -?’’ William started.

‘’Oh, honey,’’ Kate laughed. ‘’You should’ve seen the look in your eyes every time I go out of the house by myself.’’ 

‘’Hmmm,’’ William grumbled, but inside he was glad he didn’t have to explain himself to Kate. Instantly, it felt like a weight was dropped from his shoulders. 

‘’Can I get my old Will back?’’ Kate whispered in his ear. 

But instead of replying, William kissed her hard, making Kate moan with his unexpected move. It took her a couple of seconds to recover, but then she kissed him back just as passionately. It was only when William’s hands moved beneath her shirt that she pulled away. 

‘’It can’t,’’ she said, slightly out of breath. ‘’What if someone catches us?’’

William pulled away, too. She was right, of course. ‘’Wanna go home?’’ he asked cheekily. 

Kate grinned at him. ‘’Then you have made that lovely basket for nothing. Let’s walk and enjoy the day. Then we have our desert at home,’’ she winked. William grabbed her hand and put her close for one last tight embrace. ‘’I love you,’’ he nuzzled in her ear. 

‘’I love you, too,’’ Kate spoke, almost down to a whisper. William still gave her goose bumps when he talked to her like that, in his low, manly voice. 

‘’Let’s go,’’ William said. ‘’Lupo is already miles ahead.’’ 

Hand in hand they walked, trailing behind their dog. After a while, Kate’s back started to hurt and they decided to have their little picnic on the beach. It was still a bit windy, but William had packed an extra sweater for Kate. Lupo darted around them the whole time, happy he could roam the beach freely again. He too had missed Anglesey when they were in London and Bucklebury. 

‘’Yeah, boy, enjoy it while you can,’’ William said to him. ‘’Before you know it, we are living in London permanently.’’

‘’Hey,’’ Kate said firmly, ‘’don’t think about that now. Think about what will happen before that. Our child will be the most perfect ever.’’

‘’I know,’’ William nodded, looking serious, ‘’because I am his father.’’ He got a slap on the arm as a reward. 

Their time on the beach proved precious indeed. It was hard on Kate, though, who fell asleep in the car. William deliberated wether he should carry her in the house or let her sleep in the car, but decided to wake her up after all. She would fall back to sleep in no time again anyway, which indeed happened. William glanced at the clock and startled when he realized it was already dinner time. Not wanting to wake Kate up, he thought he might make some dinner himself. Not knowing what Kate had planned – she never wrote those things down – he opened the fridge and checked if there was anything in there he could cook. When he stood before the refrigerator, he noticed with a slight shock he was a bad, bad cook. There were all kinds of vegetables, meats and fish stocked away in there, but he didn’t know how to prepare them properly. Feeling more than just a little ashamed, he gathered the ingredients for just a simple salad. He would boil some eggs to have some variance with it. He could do so much, but he really needed to get it together. For years, he and Kate – and everybody who knew them fairly well – had always mocked his cooking skills. He had always laughed along when embarrassing stories about him failing in the kitchen were being told, but now it didn’t seem so funny anymore. He really should learn how to make a proper meal. Whenever Kate wasn’t home for dinner he always ordered in or just baked some eggs. But the days when she wasn’t able to stand in front of the stove for hours and cook those delicious meals of hers were fast approaching. And when she would lie in bed, recovering from the birth, he should make dinner, and not some things thrown together. Real dinner, for Kate needed her strength after the birth. William always thought he was a mature man, but he found he still had to learn an awful lot.   
But this night, he made that salad and it was good. Kate thought so too. So when she went to bed shortly afterwards – she needed to rest with some engagements coming up – William went to search to cookbooks they had in their home. They weren’t hard to find. Some were neatly lined up in the kitchen, the ones which Kate used on a regular basis. William scooped them all up in his arms and walked over to the living room. He flicked through them, sitting on the couch, with his feet up at the salon table. He panicked with every turned page. This was far too hard for him, there was no way he could make those recipes. He shoved the books aside and decided he needed a beer. But when he walked back to the kitchen his eye fell on the book stand in the corner of the living right next to the fire place and all the pieces fell together. On the bottom shelf stood more cooking books, the more basic ones. Kate didn’t use them, already having mastered the basics of cooking. She had kept them though, not wanting to throw away such beautiful books. With an audible sigh of relief William bent his knees and squatted down to pick up the books. He quickly looked through them and saw he could pull this off. He went back to the couch and started reading, all forgotten about his beer.   
And as he turned more pages and learned more about the cooking techniques of variable vegetables, his breathing became more relaxed. This wasn’t too hard, he could totally do it. The only thing left was he had to convince Kate he wouldn’t mess it up. He put the books back from where they came from and prepared to go to bed as well. When he climbed under the sheets he kissed Kate’s cheek and made himself comfortable. Kate hummed softly in her sleep, knowing subconsciously William was lying right next to her. 

The next days were a whirlwind of activities. William and Kate were back in London, living in Nottingham Cottage again. Kate absolutely loved the tour they were given, together with Harry, through the Warner Bros. Studios, especially the whole Harry Potter part. William felt like he was a child again as well. Climbing into to Bat Mobile and checking it all out. It was a pity they couldn’t behave they were on a playground, but the enthusiasm was sincere. When the press had left they could enjoy a more private tour and look at everything leisurely. The other engagements went smoothly as well. Kate was over her fear of getting sick during an appearance. In fact, she had never thrown up since she came back from the hospital. She only tired easily, a thing not helped by the fact she still insisted on wearing high heels. William had protested, saying those shoes would hurt her back, but Kate didn’t want it any other way, pointing out she would look like some dwarf next to him without her heels. But William had been right: her back did hurt an awful lot, especially when she had to squat down to accepts a bouquet of flowers from a sweet little child. It was no surprise she was really tired at the end of the week, when all their duties were over. Kate lied sprawled out over the couch. 

‘’What are you doing?’’ William asked, entering the living room. He had been taking a shower.

‘’Chilling.’’ Kate kept looking at the television.

‘’In this position?’’ 

‘’It doesn’t hurt my back.’’ 

William sat down next to her and started massaging Kate. After a while, he said, ‘’Wanna go away for a while?’’

‘’Hmm?’’ 

‘’What do you think?’’ William asked again. ‘’Having a second honeymoon or something, but now to focus on our child as well.’’

‘’You mean a babymoon?’’ 

‘’Whatever you want,’’ William grinned. ‘’You are still allowed to fly on a plane.’’ 

‘’You have a specific destination all mapped out then?’’ 

‘’Of course.’’


	12. Chapter 12

Of course William had planned it all, Kate thought as she boarded the plane. Unlike their honeymoon, when William had kept the destination a secret until the last moment, he had told her now where they were headed. They were going to Mustique. It was an annual tradition of the Middleton’s, but this year they hadn’t been able to go because of Kate’s hospital adventure. Kate smiled to her husband when they had taken their seats and fastened their belts.

‘’You know me like clockwork,’’ she told him. 

William smiled back at her. ‘’Well, that is the job as a husband.’’ He leaned into her and gave her a sweet little kiss. ‘’Try and get some sleep.’’

Kate nodded. The flight was a long one and it would go quicker when she slept through it. ‘’What are you going to do?’’

‘’Oh, watch some movies, I think.’’ William was already fumbling with his headphones. He looked at Kate. ‘’Sleep tight.’’ 

Kate didn’t know how she managed it, but somehow she slept through the whole flight. A pat on the arm from William woke her up. 

‘’Wake up, sweetie, we’re here.’’ 

Disoriented, Kate looked around her. William had to smile about the scruffy, tired face of his wife. ‘’Here.’’ He shoved some water her way. Kate took a few sips and tried to wake up properly. William, in the mean time, stood up from his chair and started to assemble their carry-on luggage. When he had everything, he asked, ‘’Are you ready?’’ 

Kate nodded and stood up herself as well. William headed for the exit and she followed him, still a bit groggy from the long time sleep. 

It was a short drive from the airport to their usual holiday mansion. Everything had been taken care of, Kate noticed as soon as she walked in. The beds were made, the fridge was stocked and candles were lit. She looked around in amazement. The candles were never lit before. She turned around to look at William, who had been standing in the door post. 

‘’Why do I deserve such things?’’ she asked him. She walked over to him and put both arms around his neck. He, in turn, placed his hands on her waist and pulled her close. 

‘’Because you are perfect,’’ he mumbled, kissing the sweet spot on her collarbone. Kate nestled against his chest, relishing the moment. But William had other plans. He lifted her chin with his index finger and made her look at him. She always drowned in his piercing blue eyes. Without a word and without looking away, William took off her coat and threw it over a chair. He then pulled her close again and kissed her passionately, making Kate moan softly. It had been a while since they had had sex, Kate being far too tired often after a long day, but now she had slept on the plane already. Kate opened her mouth to let William’s tongue enter. She sucked it a little bit, knowing he liked that. And indeed, she as well was rewarded with a moan. She then moved to take of his coat and started to undo the buttons of his short very slowly. William groaned in agony and grabbed her ass in an attempt to speed her on, but Kate smiled against his lips. 

‘’You like teasing me,’’ William whispered. ‘’Two can play at this game.’’ He leaned in again to kiss Kate and slowly made his way down, while running his hands up and down her thighs. 

‘’Okay, I guess you have proven your point,’’ Kate said, slightly out of breath. William took her hand and led her to the bedroom. 

The next morning, when Kate woke up, she instantly looked around for William and saw he was not next to her in bed. She put back the sheets and got out of bed. She noticed she wasn’t wearing any clothes so she quickly grabbed a pair of panties and then searched the house for William. It was empty, though. ‘’Will!’’ Kate yelled, thinking he might have set off to the beach already. ‘’In the garden!’’ was the reply she got. When Kate put aside the curtains hanging in front of the door to keep the sun out, she saw William lounging in a large chair in his swimsuit with his ridiculous large sunglasses on. 

‘’Hey,’’ she said laughingly, leaning in to kiss him good morning. ‘’You look nice.’’  
‘’You’re mocking me,’’ William grumbled, but his eyes spoke otherwise. ‘’Did you sleep well?’’

‘’Well, I certainly slept long,’’ Kate replied, emphasizing the last word. 

William grinned. ‘’Wore you out that much last night?’’ Kate smacked him playfully on the arm. ‘’You wish.’’ She stood up from the chair next to him. ‘’I am going to make me some breakfast.’’ 

‘’Don’t you mean lunch?’’ William yelled after her. 

Shaking her head, Kate walked back into their house. When she was preparing her food, William came back in too. He stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her. ‘’I like it when you come out just wearing your panties and nothing else,’’ he chuckled. 

‘’It is too hot for more clothes,’’ Kate grinned. ‘’I figured you wouldn’t have a problem with that.’’

William stroke Kate’s bump, which had really started to grow. Her belly button already popped out a little. ‘’You are beautiful,’’ he whispered and then grinned when he noticed the skin he was touching had little goose bumps on it. ‘’Wow!’’ he suddenly exclaimed when he felt a hard kick against his hands. 

Kate laughed. ‘’Yeah, she does that now. Much harder than before.’’

‘’She?’’ 

‘’Yeah, we have to call it something. It doesn’t sound too involved now, don’t you think?’’

‘’True,’’ William replied. ‘’But what about giving him or her a name? It will be strange when we call the baby a she for the next three months and it turns out it is a boy. And with the amount of kicks you are getting, I’d say it’s one.’’

‘’A boy?’’

‘’Yeah.’’ 

‘’Well, then what do you wanna call the baby?’’ Kate asked. 

‘’I have no idea.’’ William laughed. ‘’That’s the problem isn’t it. I don’t want to get attached to a name were are not even going to use. I will call him or her just baby.’’

That resolved the matter and Kate went back to making her breakfast. 

\-----

A few hours later, after a long shower together, William and Kate lay on their beach towels, side by side. Kate was sunbathing, while William was looking around. He had brought a book, but found looking at people much more amusing. It was an advantage they couldn’t see him, as there were on a private beach. He was feeling a bit restless, probably also the reason why he couldn’t concentrate on his book. Kate was oblivious to this all, having her eyes closed. William looked at her for a while, admiring her beautifully curved body. She was almost six months pregnant now and looked like it too. William thought she was more beautiful than ever. “Hey babe,” he said after a while, wanting to talk to her.  
Kate didn’t response immediately. William wondered if she was really sleeping, but he couldn’t tell because of her big sunglasses. He lightly touched her arm. “Sweetie, wake up.”  
“Hmmm?” Kate mumbled. She opened her eyes and took off her glasses. William smiled when he saw her face all drowsy and sleepy.  
“Are you really that tired, honey?” he asked softly. “You slept on the plane, until late this morning and now again.”  
“I know,” Kate nodded. “But I was really busy, the last few weeks.” She sighed. “And so much more need to be done.” Her face changed from sleepy to panicked. William noticed this right away and stroked her cheek. “It’ll be okay, you just relax this week, alright?”  
“No!” Kate jumped to her feet and started pacing.  
“Katie, calm down.” William watched her pace for a few moments and then stood up himself, taking her in her arms. “Let go of me!” Kate cried out, fighting to get free. But William was much stronger and Kate didn’t really want to leave his warm embrace. After a while she stopped fighting back and relaxed a bit in his arms. When William noticed this he held her at an arm’s length to look at her. He swept a tear back with his thumb. “Oh honey,” he said, letting Kate rest against his breast again. He let Kate sob softly, until she was calm again. When they sat down, William tried to come up with a way of dealing with all the stress. Stress was bad, he know that. If Kate started worrying too much, her blood pressure would rocket and that would stress out the baby in turn. He stroked the hair out of Kate’s face. “Babykins, please look at me.” When Kate lifted up her eyes to meet his, she saw the calm and the self confidence in them. They could figure this out.  
“Sorry,” she mumbled. “Hormones. And stress, a bit, I guess.”  
“I know, sweetie. But this is going to be okay, alright? We are going to make a plan, to figure everything out. We have three months before you are due to give birth and you don’t have to work so much as you did the last weeks. So everything is going to be okay. You hear me?”  
Kate nodded. She took a deep breath and asked, “What is your plan?”  
“It’s very simple. We are going to make a list with everything that needs to be done.”  
“Right now?”  
“If you want us to.”  
“But you just said - with us being on holiday”  
“No, forget that,” William interjected immediately. “I wanted you to relax this holiday, but if that means we have to get some things sorted, then that’s what we are going to do.”  
Kate thought about his for a while. “But doesn’t this give you a feeling of working on your sparse vacation days?”  
William scolded at her. “Don’t ever think for a minute that planning our future family together feels as working for me. Ever.”  
Kate blushed a little but then gave in. “Alright. What we need to do is -” she was silent again, thinking what she had stocked away in her head for the last few weeks. “Decide on a name,” she said eventually. This was the most pressing matter for her. It felt unnerving to be having a child soon and not knowing what to name him or her.  
“We can work on that this week,” William said with a smile. “And the nursery, of course.”  
Kate nodded. The nursery. After they had their fight a couple months back and William took her to Peter Jones’s store, they had put it out of their minds. “Do you still have that list somewhere?” Kate asked.  
‘’Yeah, I can’t imagine I have thrown in out,’’ William frowned. They had written down all the things they needed to buy before the baby was born. ‘’I think it is in the kitchen drawer,’’ he said at last.  
‘’You think?’’ Kate sounded sharp.

‘’It’s in the kitchen drawer,’’ William laughed. ‘’I am sure.’’

‘’We should really get a move on with those things,’’ Kate looked on the verge of panic again. ‘’It will be over really soon and then the baby doesn’t even have his nursery yet!’’ 

‘’Of course we have to start working on it, but it will be done long before you give birth. It will probably be ready within two or three weeks.’’

‘’But what if I will go into labour early?’’ Kate asked, eyes wide open. She sometimes dreamt this, having given birth to a premature child. It gave her chills. 

‘’In that case, nobody can blame us we weren’t ready,’’ William reassured her. ‘’But I am promising you, decorating the nursery will become our first priority once we are back home.’’

‘’Okay.’’ Kate took a deep breath.

‘’Okay,’’ William repeated, smiling at her. He had no idea what his wife went through with all her mood swings, he could imagine how it must feel – really stressed out. 

‘’So, the baby’s name and decorating the nursery. Anything else?’’ Kate asked.

‘’Well, I have finished reading all my pregnancy books,’’ William winked. ‘’I am a 100% prepared.’’

Kate scolded at him. ‘’You are not the one actually having to give birth.’’

‘’Are you afraid?’’ William knew he must take her joke more serious than she made it sound. 

Kate shrugged. ‘’I don’t know. My mum says it’s a completely natural thing, it will go automatically. But a lot of things still could go wrong and if you consider the start we had, who knows what the ending will be like.’’ 

‘’Please don’t think that way.’’ William stroked her hand. ‘’We have the best doctors in the whole country and the best hospital as well. The birth will go smoothly. You are strong and healthy, our little one is strong and healthy. Everything will go okay, trust me.’’

‘’Oh!’’ Kate exclaimed. 

‘’What?’’ William asked, slightly alarmed. 

‘’I just thought of a third thing. We have to have our hospital bag at the ready.’’ 

‘’So soon?’’ William smirked, but then remembered the ‘’no joke with a pregnant woman’s feelings thing’’ and nodded. ‘’Alright, we’ll take care of that as well.’’  
‘’I think that’s it,’’ Kate said, sighing out of sheer relief. ‘’That wasn’t too many things.’’ She relaxed, lounging back in her chair. 

‘’Do you want another drink?’’ William asked, standing up. ‘’Some water, orange juice?’’

Kate looked at him with her best puppy eyes. ‘’Could you make me a smoothie? Please?’’

William laughed. ‘’Of course.’’ After planting a kiss on her head, he went back inside. 

Three things, Kate thought by herself. That was doable. More than doable, in fact. They would decide on the name this week, maybe today. They had a conversation about the names before but that was more playing with it than a serious consideration. She couldn’t even remember properly what names were on the table. It was true, the pregnancy made her memory go worse.   
Kate closed her eyes and tried to enjoy the sunshine, washing all the baby worries out of her head. She was just dozing of a little when she felt cold water in her face. 

‘’Stop that!’’ she ordered, looking very grumpy. William stood before her, laughing like an idiot. He still liked those childish pranks. He had washed his hands after cutting up the fruit and decided to wake Kate with the little drops still clinging to his fingers. 

‘’Kate, come on, it’s only water. And it’s hot, so I am allowed.’’

‘’True,’’ Kate admitted grudgingly. ‘’But next time, be aware of a pay-back, mister.’’ She smiled and accepted her smoothie. ‘’Thank you.’’ 

William took a large gulp of his beer and noticed Kate was looking at him. ‘’You want a sip, too?’’ he asked. 

Kate laughed. ‘’No, of course not. I don’t like beer.’’

‘’Then why are all looking at it like you are in love with it?’’

‘’Because I would like some wine. Especially now, here with you, the sun and the beach. It is an excellent wine moment. At moments like these, I miss it not being able to drink alcohol.’’

William suddenly stood up and walked back inside again. 

‘’What are you doing?’’ Kate yelled after him, but before she could ponder the question, he was already back, clutching a glass with orange juice in his hand.

‘’Cheers,’’ he said. ‘’If you can’t drink, I won’t either.’’

‘’Will, you really don’t have to do that. I don’t mind, I am just a tiny bit jealous.’’

‘’Well, I do mind,’’ William replied. ‘’Enjoy your smoothie.’’

‘’Yes, sir,’’ Kate smiled. They were silent for a while, both enjoying their drinks and the sunshine. Although it was already late in the afternoon, the sun here was still blazingly hot, so hot Kate was wearing a hat to keep her head cool. William thought she looked very sexy, in just her bikini and hat. When they locked eyes, he winked, a thing which still made Kate blush. 

‘’You don’t have to be shy,’’ William joked. ‘’I am a really nice guy.’’ 

Kate grinned sheepishly. Then out of the blue, she asked, ‘’Do you mind having four first names?’’   
William laughed, instantly knowing where this was headed. ‘’Hmm, I really never thought about it, I guess. Have you? You have two names, do you mind that?’’

‘’No,’’ Kate laughed. ‘’Everybody has two names. You, on the other hand, have four. Four. That’s a lot.’’

‘’Why do you care so much?’’ William was taken aback a bit with the fierceness of Kate’s tone.

Kate herself realized how it must have sounded to her husband and she started giggling. ‘’Well, I did mind when we were getting married.’’

‘’In what way?’’

‘’Well, I knew your names, obviously, but I was so nervous I was going to mess them up when I had to say them, that I was frightened I would forget them on the spot.’’

William laughed out loud. ‘’Well, fortunately, that didn’t happen. But no, I don’t mind my names. I am used to it,’’ he shrugged. ‘’It’s part of being a royal. You have lots of important ancestors to be named after. So you kind of have to. Do you mind, giving our baby so many names?’’ 

‘’No, I don’t, but –‘’ Kate looked at William, sipping her smoothie through a straw. ‘’It’s a lot,’’ she finished. ‘’It’s a bit daunting, for the baby, I mean.’’

‘’Why? Because he has the feeling he has to live up to having so many names?’’ William asked. 

‘’No, not the names themselves, but the people they refer to.’’ 

‘’Okaaay,’’ William said, stressing the last syllable.

‘’What? Do you think that is stupid?’’ 

‘’No, honey, I don’t. It’s just – you know – I am used to having so many names and I just never saw it the way you just described it. I have never felt the pressure of my ancestors’ names. If anything, there is more pressure from the public or your own parents, for that matter. I find it interesting how you think about stuff like this. And I love it. Because you haven’t grown up at court, your views are surprisingly refreshing.’’ 

Kate looked lovingly at him. He had said that many times before and she knew he meant it. Many years ago, when they were just friends and nothing more – well, maybe a bit more, Kate had to admit to herself – William felt like Kate was like coming up for fresh air. The normality that hung around her was very appealing to him and Kate was aware of that. ‘’But what do you think yourself?’’ Kate asked him. ‘’Just because I think four names is a bit much doesn’t mean that is the way to go.’’

‘’No, I know,’’ William answered. He had finished his drink and put the glass on the table right next to him. 

‘’Please put that upside down on the grass,’’ Kate said. ‘’It will attract bees.’’

‘’Right. I know you don’t think that way and I know my opinion matters as well.’’ He smiled at that last comment. ‘’But I think you do make a point. And having four names is a bit old fashioned as well.’’ 

‘’I thought the monarchy didn’t care about the latest trends,’’ Kate joked.   
‘’That’s true. If we want to give our child four names, we can, no matter if that’s fashionable or not. But we have to think as well about what we are comfortable with. And indeed, four is a bit daunting. But, on the other hand, we have to take into account that we have to name this child to more than just one person.’’

‘’So three?’’ Kate asked.

‘’That’s okay,’’ William said, thinking hard. ‘’But then we have to think really hard about what names those are going to be. He or she will be, after all, the future monarch. So the names are important.’’

‘’So that rules out Edward?’’ 

‘’Yes, exactly.’’ William was glad Kate was catching on so quick to what he was saying. She had already had made a row before, wanting to give their child a more normal, popular name. But now she had come to terms with how it was supposed to go and actually liked giving her child a traditional name. ‘’No Edward, because of the whole Wallis Simpson affaire. But, for instance, we can name our second child that. Do you see where I am going?’’

Kate nodded. ‘’Yeah. So, what shall we do?’’

‘’Call the baby Clint and flee the country,’’ William joked. 

Kate laughed. ‘’If you phone your grandmother after the birth and tell her you want to name the baby Clint, running away is the only option, I think.’’

‘’What do you want to name him?’’

‘’Him?’’

‘’Or her.’’ William smirked. He’d really like a girl. 

‘’Nice face you make there, darling,’’ Kate joked. ‘’Uhm, let me think. Do we want to name her after a living person?’’ 

‘’I don’t know,’’ William said, after some thinking. ‘’We have to like the name as well, so if that means the person we name him after is still alive, then so be it.’’ 

‘’Elizabeth?’’ Kate opted.

‘’Lizzie?’’ 

‘’Yeah,’’ Kate replied. ‘’I like Lizzie.’’

‘’Or Victoria?’’ William suggested. ‘’Vicky.’’ 

‘’Hmm, I like Lizzie better than Vicky,’’ Kate said, looking at William to see how he was thinking about the matter. 

‘’Me too,’’ he said. ‘’What about Charlotte? Or Alice, that could work too.’’

‘’I don’t like Alice,’’ Kate said. ‘’I like Charlotte better. Or Amelia, I think that is very pretty as well.’’

‘’Amelia. Very classy, yes. Little Mia – what?’’ 

Kate frowned. ‘’I like Amelia, but I don’t like Mia. Shame though, because everyone will call her that. Anne?’’

‘’Not as a first name,’’ William said. ‘’It’s too closely associated with my aunt. Not that there is anything wrong with her, on the contrary, but I’d rather have her named after a monarch or one of the monarch’s names.’’

‘’Alexandra? Mary?’’ 

“Yeah, like that,’’ William said. They both were silent for a moment or two. ‘’What are you thinking about?’’ William finally asked.

Kate took a deep breath and said the words she had repeated over and over again in her head just now. ‘’Elizabeth Amelia Charlotte. Lizzie.’’

‘’Perfect,’’ William smiled. 

‘’Really?’’ 

‘’Really.’’ He leaned in and gave Kate a kiss. ‘’And now we hope it is in fact a girl.’’ 

‘’Because boy’s names are so much harder?’’ Kate chuckled.

‘’No, because the name you just said is just absolutely perfect. And I mean that. What?’’ William noticed Kate wasn’t really paying attention.

‘’Oh, nothing. I just realized that some parents to be spend months over choosing a name and we just did this in a couple of minutes. Without fighting or anything.’’

William kept silent.

‘’Alright, we fought once. But that was partly my hormones to blame.’’

William laughed. ‘’Yes, dear, blame anything on your hormones.’’ He gently patted Kate’s arm. ‘’No, but you are right, though. This is going very smoothly. But of course, we don’t have that much names to choose from. It will be a much wider scope with boys, because there were many more Kings than Queens, and with our second child. Then we have more freedom.’’

‘’True,’’ Kate nodded. ‘’So, much more boy’s names, then?’’ 

‘’Yeah,’’ William said, and then laughing, ‘’look at my names, at Harry’s, Dad’s.’’

‘’But what do you want?’’ Kate asked, stressing that last word. Sometimes she had to remind him a little bit that duty wasn’t everything. 

‘’What I want is to name him after Granny,’’ William said and Kate understood. He had such a respect for her, it only seemed right. And on top of that, she would be really pleased and proud, that even when they had a boy it would get named after her. 

‘’Well, we can’t name him Elizabeth. There isn’t a male version of that name. Neither is there of Mary. Or do you want to call him Marius?’’ 

‘’Oh, I didn’t know you were given birth to a Roman of the Antiquity Era.’’ William said ironically. 

‘’Very funny.’’ Kate rolled her eyes. William checked his watch. ‘’What?’’ she asked.

‘’I am hungry,’’ he shrugged. 

Kate stood up. ‘’Let’s make dinner then.’’ 

‘’Don’t you want to finish this conversation, deciding about the boy’s name?’’

‘’Well,’’ Kate said with a voice that didn’t promise anything good, ‘’I, unlike you, am actually able to cook and talk at the same time.’’ 

William stood up as well and walked behind his wife. ‘’I hate you.’’

‘’No, you love me, remember?’’ Kate yelled over her shoulder.

William didn’t need to be remembered. 

‘’What about Alexander?’’ he asked, while he was cutting up the vegetables. 

‘’Hmm,’’ Kate said, looking at the frying pan in which she was stirring a sauce. ‘’I don’t know. I don’t think I like that name very much.’’

‘’What if we short it to Alex?’’

But Kate shook her head again. ‘’Nope. I just don’t buy it. King Alex.’’ 

William had to give in at this point. ‘’Do you still have mixed feelings about the name George?’’ They had spoken of this name before, and William thought it was the best name they could give their baby son. Honouring his great-grand father and grandmother, because she always looked up to him so much. He looked at Kate, who was still looking at the sauce she was making. He let her be, not wanting to force the name on her. 

Kate was actually thinking about the name George, as she had done much the last few months. Ever since William had brought it up all that time ago, it hadn’t disappeared from her mind. She just kept pondering about it. She knew this was the name to be, the best contestant, but something held her back. She herself didn’t even know what it was. George was the perfect name. Not old-fashioned at all and many great kings were named George. He would stand in an excellent tradition that way. But that was also the part she was worried about, which she had confessed to William earlier this day. How would their child feel, knowing he would one day be king and also being aware of the other George’s that had been king one day? 

‘’It’s our baby,’’ William said softly. ‘’If we like the name George, and I now you do, we can name him that.’’ He stressed his point by waving with the knife in his hand. 

Kate was slightly taken aback. ‘’How did you know –‘’

William walked over to her and wrapped his arms around his wife. ‘’Oh honey, I know what you think. I know exactly what is going on in your head. It’s a gift.’’

Kate made gagging noises, but was secretly glad William could read her like an open book. ‘’I guess you are right,’’ she said slowly. ‘’And I do like the name George. Or Georgie. When I think about our baby and holding him in my arms, rocking him to sleep or just talking to him when I change his diaper, I always think about him or her as George.’’

‘’We can’t call our baby girl that,’’ William said cheekily. ‘’But, no, I feel the same way. If we have a boy, George will be his name.’’ 

‘’And what about his other names? I mean, now we are busy thinking about them, we can easily complete the task.’’

William winked at her. ‘’Let’s do that. I will still name him after Granny and Mary is not an option, indeed. But maybe Alexander can be his second or third name?’’

Kate still wasn’t sure. ‘’What are the other options?’’

William took a deep breath and started spitting out names. ‘’Philip, Arthur, Louis, Charles, Henry, David, Albert, Frederick, James.’’ 

‘’Wow,’’ Kate reacted.

‘’Although, not Albert,’’ William concluded. ‘’Because we already name him George. So Albert isn’t necessary anymore.’’

‘’And Henry,’’ Kate added. ‘’Because then he will have the same name as his uncle. And James as well. And I really don’t like the name Frederick, to be honest.’’

William smiled at her, but then looked startled. ‘’You are burning the sauce!’’

‘’Shit!’’ Kate quickly turned back to the stove and started stirring like a maniac. She turned down the gas and tried to save the sauce, in which she succeeded quickly.

‘’And you said you could talk and cook at the same time,’’ William grinned.

‘’Oh, shut up. You think about the third name, then.’’

‘’Third? So Alexander is a go?’’

Kate smiled. ‘’Yes. It is a great way to honour your Grandmother.’’

‘’Thank you.’’ William pulled Kate close and pressed a kiss to her head. ‘’So, the third name. Let me see. Say what you think sounds best. George Alexander Philip.’’ 

Kate shook her head. ‘’That doesn’t go smoothly. George Philip Alexander.’’ 

‘’That is better already,’’ William acknowledged. ‘’But wait a minute, then we name the baby both after granny and papa. Do we want that? Maybe we could save that for the next one.’’ 

‘’True,’’ Kate nodded, not daring to look up from the stove now. ‘’George Alexander Arthur.’’ Glimpsing at William, she saw they both shook their heads.

‘’George Alexander Louis,’’ William then tried. 

‘’George Alexander Louis,’’ Kate repeated. ‘’I like that. I like that a lot. It sounds great.’’

‘’Do we have a winner?’’William asked cautiously, setting the table as he did so.   
‘’I guess so,’’ Kate said, carrying the food to the table and sitting down. She smiled widely at her husband. ‘’It’s getting so close now.’’ 

William smiled at her. ‘’You still have three months to go, sweetie.’’ 

‘’I know, I know, but now we have a name, it’s just – I can’t explain.’’ Kate rambled. ‘’You know?’’

William took her hand. ‘’I know.’’

He pressed a light kiss on the back of her hand and then let go to put some food on their plates. ‘’So next year, we will be here with George Alexander Louis or with Lizzie Amelia Charlotte.’’

And Kate couldn’t reply but smile.


	13. Chapter 13

When Kate woke on the 15th of June, the sun was streaming through the navy blue curtains in front of the bedroom windows. Kate turned to face the light and smiled. She had had a nice dream: it had taken her back to her holiday with William in Mustique, now two months ago. She couldn’t believe how much time had passed since then. Back then, they had spoken about names and how to decorate the nursery. She had felt stressed because so many things needed to be done. They had also spoken about how it was still three months to go. When Kate looked back on the time that had passed, she noticed how much progress had been made already. They had their names picked out, both for a boy and a girl and they nursery was almost finished. She and William had moved back to London and the hospital bag stood at the front door, packed and all, just in case she went into labour early. Kate was so engrossed in her own thoughts, she didn’t realize William had walked in to their room, just clad in his boxer shorts. “What'cha thinking about?” he asked with a grin on his face. “What are you so happy about?” Kate shot back at him, smiling as well. His happy composure was infectious. “Does there have to be a reason for my happiness?” William replied. “The sun is shining, you are doing great, I slept well and today we get to spend with my entire family. So I am happy.” He opened his closet and put on a plain grey shirt, showing off his muscular build. “Hmm, if I wasn’t eight months pregnant, I would bring you back to bed right now,” Kate winked. William’s expression changed from smiling to serious so fast it was comical. “No, you won’t,” he said sternly, pointing his finger at Kate. “Don’t point at me,” she retorted. “That’s not polite, darling.” She tried to look as serious as William, but started to chuckle after a few seconds. Attempt failed.

“You look very cute now, you realize that?” William walked over to Kate and gave her a kiss. “Good morning.”

“Hmm, you too,” Kate said against his lips. “Are you looking forward to today?” William helped Kate stand up and walked her to the bathroom. The last days he had stayed with her while she took a shower. Kate had protested, of course, but he had put his foot down. He wouldn’t want her to slip in the shower and then not being able to get up again. So far nothing had happened, so Kate had made an I-told-you-so-face every time she stepped out of the shower. But if that was the price to pay, William obliged happily. By now, Kate didn’t even protest anymore and just kept talking to him while she undressed. “Yeah, I am, very much so, actually. The sun is shining and I slept well. Our peanut kept his peace tonight, so I got to actually close my eyes and get some quality sleep.” William gave her a sweet smile and gently rubbed her back. “That’s great, sweetheart.” Kate kept talking. “And I do look forward to seeing everyone again. I mean, it’s been a while since we have been here in London, visiting family. So it should be great fun.” She stepped into the shower and turned the water on. “And I get to watch you in your uniform all day, the same that you wore during our wedding. So the memories will be great as well.” Her face clouded for a moment, something William noticed immediately. “What’s wrong?” “I just hope our balcony appearance won’t be too long,” Kate shrugged, washing the shampoo out of her hair. “Standing on high heels for some time is killing me at the moment.” “We will keep that as short as possible,” William promised her. “Just some waving, Harry making a few corny jokes, the fly-past and it’s done.” Kate turned the water off again and he handed her a towel. “That was quick,” he commented. “I told you, standing up is taking a lot of effort now,” Kate smiled. “Do you even listen to me?” She nudged him in his stomach. “No fair,” William playfully pouted, “I was too busy making sure the balcony appearance won’t be long. Maybe you should take a nap after everything, you know. You won’t come to the hospital anyway, so why not sleep a bit in the mean time, while we are all gone?” William was scheduled to visit his grandfather after the Trooping the Colour ceremony, together with his dad and brother. Philip was admitted to a private clinic, having just undergone abdominal surgery. Most of the family would visit him after the balcony appearance, but they had decided Kate wouldn’t join them. The whole world seeing her from afar at Buckingham Palace was one thing, but actually stepping out in the middle of London was another. William wanted to protect her from the screaming crowd that would no doubt appear when she would arrive at the hospital. Besides, Kate would need her nap after the ceremony. When Kate was toweling her hair, the door bell rang. “That would be Amanda,” William said. “Are you okay?” he asked her, gesturing he wanted to get downstairs to open the door. Kate smiled at him. “Just open the door for her and make her a cup of coffee. I’ll be fine, I’m not sick, you know.” William gave her a silly grin and dashed out to let Kate’s hairdresser in. Kate watched him leave and smiled when she could hear William and Amanda friendly greeting each other. She loved how he was so attend and worried about her, wanting to help as much as possible during the last stage of her pregnancy. After she had put on her sweatpants - changing into her outfit for the day would come when her hair was done - she made her way downstairs where William and Amanda were chatting animatedly on the couch, both clutching a steaming cup of coffee. “Ah, you’re here,” William said as he saw Kate entering the living room. “Morning, Amanda,” Kate smiled at her. “How nice you could come so early today. I really appreciate it.” “No problem, of course, Catherine,” Amanda answered. “So, should we get started straight away? I believe you are on a tight schedule today.” Kate nodded. “True. Lots to be done.”

“I’ll go get changed in my uniform and then I’ll be out,” William said as Amanda and Kate started to made their way to Kate’s dressing room. “I have to get my horse ready and such.” “That’s fine, I’ll wait here for the car to pick me up to go to the Palace. Good luck, honey.” Kate wouldn’t see William until the balcony appearance. “Thanks.” He leaned in to kiss Kate goodbye. “Until next time, Amanda,” he winked. Amanda smiled, eyes flickering. “Yes, that is one hell of an event.” The next time her services were needed was when Kate would appear from the hospital after giving birth. William smiled at the two ladies and then he was gone.

‘’How are you feeling?’’ Amanda asked when she started to brush out her client’s long tresses. 

Kate gave a slight shrug, not wanting to move that much while Amanda was concentrating on her hair. ‘’Okay, I guess,’’ she answered. ‘’Some nights I sleep better than others’, but overall, I can’t complain. William is hovering, though.’’ 

Amanda laughed. ‘’Oh, sweetie, you don’t know how lucky you are.’’ She gave Kate a lopsided grin, looking at her in the mirror. 

‘’Why is that?’’ Kate asked, chuckling at the sight of her friend. 

‘’When you guys decide the time is right for baby number two, his behaviour will differ greatly. He is used to having to deal with all the pregnant lady’s quarks and doesn’t scare that easily anymore. Now he is frightened when every little thing comes up, right?’’ 

Kate nodded in agreement. 

‘’But then he knows it is nothing to worry about, so he won’t worry anymore. Believe me, you are going to miss it.’’ 

‘’You speak from your own experience then?’’ Kate laughed. Amanda gave her a pointed look and eventually said, ‘’Yes, I do.’’ She put the brush away and gathered some other supplies. ‘’Are you nervous? How long to go now?’’ 

‘’A month,’’ Kate said, ‘’maybe a bit sooner. My doctor says it’s natural for your first child to be born a couple days early.’’ She smiled at Amanda. ‘’I really can’t wait to meet him or her.’’ 

‘’You really don’t know to sex, do you?’’

‘’No, Will and I wanted to be surprised. Only Marcus knows the sex but he has to keep his mouth shut. We really don’t want to know. But I know Will would love a little girl, though. But then, when we talk about having a boy, he gets all excited and giddy about the prospect of playing some ball game with him and taking him fishing and all that stuff. So it doesn’t matter at all. For me neither,’’ she then added. 

‘’You practically start glowing when you talk about your child,’’ Amanda noticed. Kate blushed. ‘’Oh honey, it’s nothing to be embarrassed for! I love it.’’ Kate looked up in the mirror and saw Amanda wink at her. ‘’So,’’ she said, changing the subject, ‘’looking forward to the event today?’’ 

Kate nodded and gave her the same answer she had given William not too long ago, but omitting the comment about how nice he looked in his uniform. 

‘’Oh, that’s right,’’ Amanda said, ‘’you guys just moved back here to London.’’

‘’Yeah,’’ Kate replied, ‘’it didn’t make sense to go back there after the Trooping. We’d only be there for two weeks or so and then head back here again, in case the baby is early. I really want to be in London to give birth, in the Lindo Wing. We’ve been there and I’ve met the people and I feel comfortable around them. When I go into labour early and we’ll still be in Anglesey it will be really chaotic. I’ll miss it, though,’’ she added after a thoughtful moment. ‘’We have complete privacy there, we can go anywhere we want anytime we want. Here I can’t even leave the property without being jumped on and harassed.’’

‘’I thought you guys would go back once the baby is born?’’ Amanda asked.

‘’Yeah, but before that we’ll be a few weeks in Bucklebury. Learning the ropes and getting help from Mum and Dad. William is completely at ease there as well. We won’t be as isolated as in Anglesey and that is comfortable idea, being new parents in just a few weeks. But yes, after our time there we’ll be heading back up north again. But not for too long though, Kensington is still going to be our first home.’’ Kate stared a bit, biting her lip, after she had uttered those last words. ‘’I am going to miss it,’’ she said eventually. ‘’I guess that carefree part of our lives is really coming to an end now.’’ 

‘’It’ll be okay,’’ Amanda said encouragingly. ‘’Listen to me, I have lots more experience in life.’’ 

Kate laughed.

‘’I know change is hard, but I also know it’ll somehow always work out for the better. You guys will adjust here in London.’’

Kate smiled at her. ‘’I know. Thanks.’’

‘’That’s what hair dressers are for, right? But now, let’s get back to that beautiful hair of yours.’’ Amanda concentrated on doing her job again and Kate closed her eyes, trying to relax. Her baby was still quiet, but that would change once the events of this day would start. When she was active, her child was as well. So she closed her eyes and tried to mentally prepare herself for all the noise and chaos that would soon be the streets of London. She was used to it by now, but had never experienced it with an 8-month-old fetus in her belly. Maybe William’s idea of taking a nap afterwards was not that bad of a plan. 

****

Kate didn’t expect to hear from or see William until they would get ready for their balcony appearance, but she was wrong. Whenever he had a spare moment he texted her, asking her if she was still doing okay. Kate smiled every time her phone chirped again, replying that everything was well and that she was doing just fine. He didn’t need to know her feet hurt, her head ached and that she was so tired she could sleep standing up. No, instead she braved the crowds, smiled and waved. She told herself to keep going until the carriage brought them back to the Palace again. There she could sit a few minutes in peace before they had to go up to the balcony. She knew when William would see her he would know she had lied to him about her condition, but she didn’t want to worry him now he was so busy doing his duty for Queen and country. He would turn around his horse at the spot and race back to wherever she was at that moment, she knew that for sure. She also knew he would be cross with her for not telling the truth and battling through this day all on her own. She was right. 

‘’Why didn’t you tell me?’’ William said angrily, waving his hands in frustration. He had come back in to the palace with a happy smile on his face, but as soon as he saw Kate sit on a chair, he had noticed how pale and tired she looked. His happiness had immediately gone away, replaced with worry. 

‘’Because,’’ Kate shot back at him, ‘’I knew you would get worried and wanted to come back to me. And that couldn’t be, you were supposed to do your job out there and now you did. And besides, nothing is wrong with me.’’

William raised his eyebrows. ‘’Hmm, let me start,’’ he said. ‘’This morning you were all cheerful and happy and looking forward to this day. Now you are pale, tired and you say your body and head are aching. That doesn’t sound like nothing is wrong to me.’’ He noticed how Kate’s face fell as he spoke to her, realizing his tone was a bit harsh. He sat down next to her and started rubbing her back. ‘’I’m sorry,’’ he said softly. ‘’That was just the worry talking.’’ 

Kate smiled at him. ‘’I know. But I’m fine really, just tired.’’

‘’Is that all?’’ William asked.

‘’Yes, honestly.’’ Kate quickly kissed his cheek. ‘’I am going to refresh my make-up a bit, trying to look less pale and then I am all set for the balcony.’’ 

William helped her stand up and watched her go. ‘’I’ll stay right here,’’ he yelled after her. He was not completely at ease with Kate being still out and about. Today was her last official outing; now he could make sure she would do nothing but relax and prepare herself for giving birth. If only if she weren’t that headstrong, this would be an easy task. The difference between now and this morning was really, really big, William thought. When Amanda had arrived Kate had been lively, energetic even. She had been looking forward to this event, catching up with all the family. And now she could barely stand on her own two feet longer than a couple of minutes, not to mention how tired she looked. He would personally make sure she was being brought back to their Kensington Palace apartment so she could rest. 

‘’Come on, let’s go home,’’ he said, taking Kate’s arm and gently guiding her down the stairs. He had luckily managed to keep the balcony appearance short.

‘’Wait, what?’’ Kate asked confused. ‘’I can get home myself with our car. That’s how I got here in the first place. You have to go the hospital.’’

William shook his head. ‘’They can wait. I’ll drive you home first and then I’ll come back here. It’s a short drive, so they don’t have to wait long. I believe they are all going into the garden for some refreshing beverages. It’s a beautiful day.’’

‘’And still you insist I should go to bed,’’ Kate muttered under her breath but William’s ears caught it anyway.

‘’Have you looked at yourself? Or remember what you said to me? Something about headaches and tiredness, if I remember correctly.’’  
‘’I know,’’ Kate sighed. ‘’I’ll just go to bed for a nap. But that doesn’t mean I like it.’’ She took a deep breath and looked at William. ‘’On days like these I sometimes hope the baby will be born early.’’ 

‘’No, you don’t,’’ William said. ‘’You want a happy, healthy baby, carried to term.’’

Kate smiled. ‘’I know. But it is getting hard now, on some days.’’ She stepped into their car and William closed the door behind her. When he had walked around the vehicle, he pulled her close when he had gotten in.

‘’I know,’’ he whispered in her ear. ‘’But you don’t have to do this alone. I am here, and I am in for the full ride.’’ 

When they broke apart, William saw tears welling up in Kate’s eyes. Lately, she had been more emotional than ever. William gently wiped them away with his thumb. Kate just nodded, signaling she was okay.

When they got home, Kate decided she wanted to take a shower first. It had been a hot afternoon and her coat was fairly warm. ‘’I’ll make you some tea. Shout when you need a hand okay?’’ William was a bit worried by the idea of Kate showering without him by her side. 

Kate smiled at him. ‘’I’ll manage.’’ When William brought up a tray with tea and some cookies a few minutes later, Kate had already turned the water off again. After a few moments, she appeared in their bedroom, dressed in her pajamas. ‘’Thanks,’’ she said gratefully after seeing the tray. She climbed into bed and William pressed a kiss to her head. ‘’I’ll be back with an hour or two. I’ll leave my phone on, please call me when you need me. Not like this morning, okay?’’

Kate nodded.

‘’Promise?’’ William asked.

‘’Promise.’’

****

When William returned from his visit to his grandfather in the hospital, Kate was still sleeping. When he opened the door and saw nobody was in the living room, he quietly made his way upstairs and took a peek in their bedroom, not wanting to wake her up. Her hair lay all over the pillow and her mouth was slightly open. Her book lay just beside her, still opened. She obviously had fallen asleep while she was reading it. William checked his watch and decided to wake her up in an hour when she was still asleep. He left the door slightly open and went back downstairs again. In the living room, he tried to concentrate on his book – another one about how to prepare yourself for the impending labour - but his mind kept going back to the events of today. When he looked back at it, he saw now he couldn’t prevent Kate from getting achy and tired. Protocol had dictated they were apart for most of the time. William made a mental note then with the next pregnancy – if they were so blessed – he would not let Kate go to an engagement without him by her side. He would notice immediately when she was getting tired and could take her home on the spot. And for now, the last month, he would make sure she is getting pampered. Just when William realized he hadn’t read one single line and started to concentrate again, the door was opened with a creaking sound. He turned around. Kate stood in the door post, wearing her sweatpants and a tank top, looking drowsy. William’s face immediately softened when he looked at her. He walked around the couch he had been sitting on and wrapped her in his arms. 

‘’Are you feeling better?’’ he asked.  
‘’Yes,’’ Kate smiled against his chest. ‘’But still tired. Headache is gone, though, thankfully.’’ 

‘’Can I make you a cup of tea?’’

‘’Yes, please.’’ Kate nodded and then tried to stifle an enormous yawn, which didn’t go unnoticed by William. 

‘’I saw that,’’ he grinned.

‘’Sorry,’’ Kate chuckled. ‘’Still a bit sleepy. What’s the time?’’

‘’Four thirty,’’ William replied. ‘’I was going to wake you at five, but here you are already.’’ He filled the kettle with water and put it on. He then got a mug from the cupboards. ‘’What flavour?’’

‘’Earl grey.’’ Kate wasn’t one to experiment when it came to drinking tea. William already had a package in his hand. He leaned against the counter and looked at Kate closely. ‘’What?’’ she exclaimed after a while. ‘’Is there something on my face?’’ 

‘’No, sorry. Just thinking.’’

‘’About?’’

‘’You and this pregnancy.’’ William turned away from her to pour the water in the mug. He hang the tea bag in it and handed the mug to Kate. She warmed her hands and blew into the steaming mug. ‘’And that I want you to take things really easy from now on. Let me pamper you.’’

Kate smiled. ‘’I am not one to be pampered all day. I am far too independent for that.’’

William grimaced. ‘’Try me.’’ Then, a little friendlier, ‘’you really have to rest now, honey. Please try. Listen to your body. Soak up everything from this last month of pregnancy, you will regret it if you don’t.’’

Kate nodded. That was true. ‘’Alright,’’ she said. ‘’But I am not sick or disabled, okay? Don’t treat me like that.’’

‘’Oh, I never would,’’ William smiled, leaning in to kiss her. ‘’Shall I order some pizzas for tonight?’’ he asked when they broke apart again. ‘’Neither of us is in the mood for cooking a decent meal.’’ 

‘’Pepperoni, please. With extra cheese.’’ 

William laughed. ‘’Yes, ma’am, coming right up.’’ He got his phone from his pocket and made the online order. His assistant would pick it up from the pizza place. 

‘’We’ll eat healthy again tomorrow,’’ Kate said, but she didn’t look like she minded this evening’s dinner at all. 

‘’What do you want to do, these last weeks?’’ William asked. He knew that when nothing was in her schedule his wife would get bored out of her mind and start to take up things she shouldn’t. He wanted to plan some nice things, to keep her busy, but not too much. 

‘’I honestly don’t know,’’ Kate sighed, still looking tired. She still held her steaming mug in her hands and held her face close to it. ‘’Smells good,’’ she smiled. ‘’Can’t we just take it day by day?’’ She placed the mug back on the counter; it was still far too hot. ‘’I mean, I don’t know how I will feel. Some days I am more tired, some days I am not. There is nothing wrong with me, Will!’’ she added more fervently when she noticed he raised his eyebrows. ‘’It’s just that I have to take it easy for a bit, that’s all. You are looking at me like I am some terminal patient.’’

‘’I am –‘’

‘’Just worried,’’ Kate finished his sentence for him. ‘’I know and I appreciate it.’’ She took a step closer towards him. ‘’Really. But you have to believe me when I say I am doing alright. Please? I promise I won’t lie to you again.’’ 

William eventually nodded, which was rewarded with a kiss. Then the doorbell rang. ‘’Ah, there will the pizzas be. Be right back.’’ 

Kate turned around, got her cup of tea from the counter and sipped it. Barefooted, she made her way to the living room and browsed their extensive series and DVD collection. When they ate pizza, they watched a movie together. It had sort of become a routine.

When they were halfway through their movie, Kate glanced to her left to look at William. She smiled when she saw a piece of pizza had set up camp in the right corner of his mouth. She leaned in to wipe it away but lost her balance in the process. ‘’Hey, hey! What are you doing?’’ William cried out as Kate suddenly fell on his lap. William quickly put his drink away before Kate would knock it over and then turned his attention to a giggling Kate. ‘’Sorry,’’ she laughed. ‘’I fell over.’’ 

‘’Yeah, I noticed,’’ William stated dryly. ‘’What is it?’’ He carefully positioned Kate in an upright position again. 

‘’I wanted to wipe your mouth, there is some pizza on it. But my belly is so heavy by now, I collapsed on you.’’ 

‘’If you weren’t this pregnant, I would have let you stay there,’’ William winked. He pulled her close, with his arm draped around her shoulder. He pressed a kiss in her hair. ‘’But that time will come again.’’ Kate relaxed in his embrace and sighed. ‘’You okay?’’ William asked. 

‘’Yeah,’’ she replied. ‘’Just tired.’’ 

‘’You slept the whole afternoon,’’ William joked. 

‘’Yeah, but had a busy morning,’’ Kate shot right back at him. ‘’You were right, though, before.’’

‘’What are you talking about?’’ 

‘’You know, when you said I should really take things easy from now on. I mean, I got this tired from sitting in a carriage and standing on the balcony for a couple of minutes. Then I went to bed, but here I am. Still tired, with an aching body.’’

‘’Aching?’’ William asked concerned. ‘’Where?’’

‘’Oh, don’t worry, honey. Just my feet and calves, they are sore from standing on heels today.’’ 

‘’Wanna go to bed? I can massage you and you can fall asleep right there.’’

‘’But,’’ Kate said hesitantly.

‘’But what?’’ 

‘’It’s only 9 o’clock. It’s far too early to go to bed for you.’’

William shrugged. ‘’I’ll read my book. Now come on, I know you want this.’’ He pulled Kate on her feet. 

‘’Okay,’’ she said, smirking.

Kate was so tired she fell asleep during William’s massage, something he found very funny. He had to resist the urge to take some pictures, but eventually decided against it. Kate would not appreciate that. So instead, he put on his pajamas and curled up next to her. His book lay on his nightstand, but William was so busy watching his wife sleep he forgot all about it. He propped himself up on one elbow and let his eyes wander over Kate’s sleeping body. She was lying on her back, her mouth slightly open. When you looked closely, you could see her heart beating at her pulse point. He followed the swell of her breasts and then his eyes landed on her baby bump. William thought Kate was at her most beautiful right now. Ever since she got pregnant he had fallen in love with her all over again. Her left hand was resting on top of her big belly and moved slowly up and down along the rhythm of her soft breathing. Her other hand lay beside her and William stroked it very softly with his thumb, not wanting to wake her up. He was happy Kate fell asleep so peacefully and hoped she would be sleeping well through the night. Their peanut must be able to keep quiet for at least one night. William’s eyes travelled back to Kate’s bump again. The idea that his child was growing inside was unbelievable. He still couldn’t fully comprehend what it meant. And it was only a couple of weeks before he would have his child in his arms. The thought made his heart burst with joy but frightened him at the same time. All the books told him he shouldn’t worry about being a good father and having a close bond to your child. When the baby will be born, that would all come natural. This was the mantra William kept repeating in his head over and over again. He and Kate knew how they wanted to raise their children so it would all be fine. But the last couple of days, William wasn’t able anymore to ignore that little nagging voice in the back of his head. He knew he should talk to Kate about it; she wanted to know what was going on inside that brain of his and William was sure she could put him at ease again. But looking at her sleeping, he couldn’t bring himself to bring up such a topic of conversation. Not when she was that tired. William sighed and rolled on his back. It still took a long time for him to finally fall asleep.

When Kate woke the next morning, she saw William was still sleeping. A frown was visible between his eyes and made Kate wonder if he was worrying about anything. She knew he struggled with coming to terms of becoming a father and wondered if he started thinking about that again, now the birth was coming so close. She leaned and kissed him softly, causing him to wake up. 

‘’Hmm, I want to wake up that way more often,’’ he smiled. He pulled her close, so she could snuggle against him. When he actually dozed off again, Kate suddenly said ‘’You will make a wonderful father, Will.’’

‘’How did you -?’’ William’s eyes flew wide open.

Kate chuckled. ‘’I know you. It’s written all over your face, even in your sleep. But listen to me. Our baby will have the best father possible. He is already the best husband, so how can it be otherwise?’’ 

William embraced her tightly but didn’t reply. Kate, however, felt how much he appreciated her words, without him having to voice his worries. ‘’I know you worry about it a lot,’’ she continued, ‘’but look how natural you are with other people’s babies. In our family and outside it, even with babies you meet in hospitals and such. I can just feel it, honey.’’

William kissed her neck and softly stroked her bump. ‘’Thank you,’’ he whispered.


	14. Chapter 14

‘’Thank you,’’ he whispered. 

‘’And,’’ Kate added, ‘’little peanut over here already knows your voice. You have been talking so much to him or her, that your actual presence will be very easy to get used to. But, please do me one favour.’’

‘’What is it?’’

‘’Don’t ever use that stupid baby voice in which you spoke to my belly.’’

William smirked. ‘’I can’t promise that. And besides, God knows how you will talk to our child. Maybe even more stupid than I do.’’ 

Kate punched him in the shoulder. ‘’Not possible.’’ 

William kissed her again. ‘’What do you want to do today?’’

‘’Take a shower, go for a run, make that difficult pie, so I can stand hours in the kitchen, dancing to the radio and then after dinner go for an evening walk with you.’’

‘’Very funny.’’ 

Kate rolled over so she came to lie face to face to William. The glee on her face could actually be touched. William laughed just at the sight of her. ‘’You are a piece of kind,’’ he murmured, kissing her forehead. 

‘’No, really, what do you want to do today?’’ William asked again sometime later, sitting next to the shower again. 

‘’Join me,’’ was the only reply he got from his wife. He wanted to ask her if she was serious, but when he saw her face he knew she wasn’t joking. He quickly pulled down the pair of boxers he had been sleeping in and stepped into the shower. He embraced Kate from behind and made it look like he couldn’t bring his hands together anymore, which was rewarded by Kate kicking him in the shins. 

‘’I am not that fat,’’ she said indignantly. William kissed her neck and then her spine. ‘’You are so beautiful,’’ he whispered. His words and ministrations made that goose bumps appeared on Kate’s whole body. William kept kissing her back, dividing his attentions between the nape of her neck and her two shoulder blades, while he ran his hands over her stomach. Kate sighed and relaxed in his embrace. ‘’I love you,’’ she murmured with her eyes closed. She turned around and leaned against William’s chest.

‘’I adore you,’’ he replied, wrapping his arms safely around her. They stood like that for some time until William placed a finger under Kate’s chin and made her look up at him. When Kate opened her eyes, a tear escaped and rolled down her cheek. William wiped it away with his thumb. He looked into Kate’s eyes and felt a surge of fierce love and protectiveness, and he noticed by the way Kate looked she felt the same. He kissed her softly and then turned around the turn off the water. With one quick motion he grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his wife, who was still gazing up at him. ‘’I can’t wait to give birth to our little peanut and share even more love between us,’’ she said. William’s face lit up when he smiled at her. ‘’Me too,’’ he said. ‘’It’s going to be so amazing.’’ He stroked Kate’s cheek and stepped out of the shower to search for another towel. ‘’God, it is cold out here!’’ he cried. Kate laughed at him. ‘’Quite the man you are, honey.’’ William scowled at her before he buried his face in his new found, own towel to dry his hair. Kate shook her head at the sight of him rushing to get warm and dry as quick as possible, and grinned. 

Later, when they both had a steaming cup of tea in front of them, Kate said, ‘’Let’s go see the nursery and take care of the last preparations.’’ 

‘’I was thinking about that,’’ William said. ‘’We should move in there already, instead of living her at Nott Cott.’’

Kate was a little shocked. Moving again? They had just came all the war from Anglesey to settle down here. 

‘’It won’t be difficult, really,’’ William went on. ‘’Everything is ready over there. Only our clothes and other personal possessions have to be moved. And, in that way, we have some time to make it feel like home before the baby comes. We will know our way around the house already. We can solely focus on the baby.’’ William took a sip of his tea, spit it right out because it was far too hot and then looked hopefully at his wife. Kate chuckled when she saw William’s face was filled with anticipation. 

‘’I think it is a good idea – although I am not looking forward to getting used to sleeping in yet another bed – you are right about settling in before the baby comes. Why didn’t we think of this sooner?’’

William shrugged. ‘’We were too occupied with other things, I guess. Today is Sunday, I will make all the arrangements tomorrow.’’

‘’That’s fine.’’ Kate finished her tea, which got her a scowl from William. His tea was still far too hot for his liking. ‘’But can we still see the nursery today?’’ she asked.

‘’Sure! It is about time we’d check out the final progress, don’t you think?’’

‘’Way overdue,’’ Kate smiled. 

‘’What things need to be taken care of?’’ William asked Kate when they strolled towards the palace. 

‘’Not much,’’ she replied. ‘’There should be boxes with the clothes, stuffed animals and toys we ordered. I hoped we could give all those their own place. All the furniture is up, so it shouldn’t take too long to do that.’’

‘’And all the hospital preparations?’’

‘’Done. Bag is packed, including a onesie, swaddling blanket and diapers for newborns. The car seat is in the car already.’’ Kate looked up at William, only to found him beaming at her. ‘’What?’’ she asked. 

‘’It’s really getting very close,’’ he said. Kate smiled. ‘’Yeah, it does.’’ They entered their brand new apartment and walked straight to the nursery. They weren’t interrupted, for they had asked all the staff to stay away. That way they could enjoy this moment just by the two of them. William had his hand on the handle of the door. ‘’You ready?’’ Kate nodded and he opened the door. ‘’Tada!’’ he exclaimed, when Kate entered the room. He followed suit. Kate looked around and her mouth fell open. ‘’Will, what is all this?’’ William took a step closer and smiled. ‘’This is me getting everything done in the last few days.’’

‘’But when –‘’

‘’When you were taking your afternoon naps, darling. You like it?’’

‘’Are you kidding? I love it, I absolutely adore it! This is how I had imagined it to be.’’

‘’I know,’’ William said mischievously, smiling at Kate’s enthusiasm. ‘’I looked at your sketches and listened very, very, closely whenever you spoke about your ideas for this nursery. Take your time and look around.’’ William walked to the rocking chair next to the crib, removed a stuffed bear from the seat and then sat down, watching Kate intently. She moved around the room slowly, wanting to take everything in. Next to William stood the crib they had looked at in Peter Jones all those months ago. They briefly had discussed whether they would go for another colour, but decided to stick with the white after all. The wall behind it was painted in a lovely green colour, with a tree pictured as well, where monkeys were swinging from one branch to another. The other walls were painted with a soft with, mixed with a hue of light blue. It gave the whole room a fresh, airy atmosphere. Placed at the wall opposite the crib was the dresser, with a closet right next to it. Kate opened the cabinet doors of the dresser and saw to her surprise everything was already at their right place. Diapers in one draw, clean clothes in the other. Baby wipes at this shelf and pacifiers on another. When she moved from the dresser to the closet, she saw William took care of that one as well. All the clothes were neatly organized between socks, onesies, shirts and pants. Not that they had many clothes already, just a few necessities to get through the first couple of weeks. When they knew the sex of the baby they could really shop for clothing. Kate turned to her left and watched out of the windows, overlooking their closed garden. At each side hung beautiful new curtains, in the same shade of green as was painted on the wall behind the crib. She turned again and looked at the wall direct opposite her. A few shelfs hung on that one, some carrying ornaments, others had children’s books on them. A few stuffed animals were placed on them as well as a picture of her and William. Kate walked towards it to get a closer look and saw William had framed a recent photograph of them, taken minutes after they had their 6 months ultrasound. They had straight driven to Bucklebury for an early lunch and Carole had taken the photograph. They both looked relaxed and radiant, their happiness about their future child almost tangible. Kate smiled and looked at William, who was still watching her. 

‘’Are you happy with the outcome?’’ he asked her. Kate wanted to reply, but words could not be formed in her brain. She was utterly and completely speechless. 

‘’It’s –‘’ she tried.

William stood up from the rocking chair and took a step towards his wife. ‘’Don’t say anything. I know how you feel. That is why I did it. Making you feel this happy is worth everything.’’ He twirled a few of Kate’s hairs around his finger and then put them behind her ear, cupping her cheek. 

‘’How can I ever thank you for this?’’ Kate asked him.

William simply smiled. ‘’By giving me the most amazing gift of my life, in just a matter of weeks.’’

After checking up on the nursery, William and Kate strolled through the rest of the rooms together. ‘’You know what,’’ Kate said as they were standing in their new kitchen, ‘’I can totally see myself living here now. It feels so much more homey when everything is settled and decorated.’’

‘’That’s because we picked it all out by ourselves,’’ William remarked. 

‘’I know,’’ Kate said, ‘’but still.’’ She smiled at William. ‘’The only thing missing is our child. We and the house are completely ready.’’ It was not only the nursery that had been prepared for a small infant. A playpen was set up in the living room, baby alarms stood at their nightstands and a high chair was already placed at the kitchen table, even though their child would not fit in that for a long time. 

William walked towards Kate and placed his hands on her full grown baby bump. ‘’Then it is time our little one comes out.’’ Kate smiled at him, placing her hands over William’s. ‘’Oh, how I wish he would.’’ 

‘’He?’’ William smiled teasingly.

‘’I thought we wouldn’t have that discussion anymore,’’ Kate said, pretending to sigh out of exasperation. 

William tugged at her hand. ‘’Come on, let’s relax in the gardens and check them out too.’’ 

Kate’s mouth fell open when she walked outside. She and William had the luck their apartment opened right onto the grounds. Not everyone living at Kensington Palace had that privilege. Their private garden was immediately connected to the public ones, but a large fence shielded them from curious onlookers. ‘’Wow,’’ she said. ‘’It certainly didn’t look like this last month.’’

‘’I know,’’ William grinned. ‘’Dad made sure the gardeners did the job they were paid for.’’

Kate laughed. ‘’If your father weren’t born in this family, he would be one of them as well. Which reminds me, are we going to Highgrove soon? I want to check out all those delicious fruits and vegetables that are now ready to be eaten.’’ 

William stared at Kate. ‘’Aren’t you forgetting something?’’ he asked, pointing at her bump.

‘’Oh, yeah, right,’’ Kate giggled. ‘’I hadn’t forgotten that, I just thought, once the baby is born we could make a trip. Charles and Camilla would be absolutely delighted to have their grandchild visiting. And then I could slip into to the greenhouses,’’ she added mischievously. 

‘’You are unbelievable,’’ William laughed. ‘’But, sure, we can go. Those fresh strawberries, man, I could eat those forever.’’ And he rubbed his stomach, thinking back at the days he could lounge care free day after day at Highgrove. ‘’Yeah, we should definitely plan a visit.’’ William followed Kate to the other end of the garden, out of the patio. The furniture wasn’t up yet, but would be brought in tomorrow. The lawn was freshly moved and the flower beds looked fresh and well kept. They left all that behind and walked to the more wild part of their garden, where large trees were growing and the grass wasn’t that smooth anymore. 

‘’We could put up a swing set and a soccer goal in here,’’ Kate pointed. William nodded. ‘’Sounds like a good plan, but maybe when our baby is a little bit older.’’ 

Kate turned her head and smiled at him. ‘’I know, I can get carried away a bit, sometime.’’

‘’Sometimes?’’ William asked. ‘’Some days I have the feeling you are preparing to leave our baby behind at his university dorms.’’ 

Kate slapped his arm. ‘’Don’t be mean! I’m just excited.’’

‘’Believe me, when our child has arrived, you will find yourself wishing he or she wouldn’t grow up so fast.’’  
Kate’s eyes twinkled.

‘’What?’’ William asked.

‘’Then we could just make another one,’’ Kate said.

‘’Okay, dear.’’

Kate rolled her eyes and walked back inside again, leaving William in the garden. She stood behind the window and watched her husband look over their new garden. She wondered what he was thinking about. She then felt the baby kicking and placed both hands on her bump to calm him down. ‘’It’s okay, honey,’’ she spoke softly to her bump. ‘’We are standing in our new home now, it’s going to be awesome, living here. But don’t worry, you will see Anglesey as well, little one. And right after you are born, we will be heading to Bucklebury. You will be quite the traveler, won’t you?’’ Kate smiled at her own words and focused on William again. Her eyes glanced over his body from away. He looked good. Strong. Kate liked that. At their wedding he had said that she was his rock, but it was the other way around as well. He was her rock, too. Now, when the birth was coming very near, she could feel their bond was closer than ever. A ray of sunshine fell on her face and Kate closed her eyes, soaking up the warmth of the sun. Maybe they would have a decent summer this year in the UK after all. Just a few moments after that, she felt two strong arms embracing her. Kate fell back into William’s chest, not opening her eyes. 

‘’What are you thinking about?’’ William asked softly.

‘’Us,’’ Kate answered truthfully. ‘’And how close we are. And how much I love that.’’ She could feel William smile against her shoulder. He pressed several kisses on it. 

‘’I feel the same. Sometimes I can’t believe it’s been almost ten years.’’

Kate gasped. ‘’Oh my, you are right. 2004, right?’’

‘’We will have one heck of a celebration next year,’’ William said. 

Then the baby kicked again. ‘’Wow!’’ William exclaimed. ‘’Even I could feel that. He’s going to be a soccer player!’’ 

They both fell silent after they realized what William had just said. ‘’It’ll be okay,’’ William spoke eventually, wiping a tear away that was making his way down Kate’s cheek. ‘’It’ll be okay, we will make sure it will be okay.’’ 

The next weeks, William and Kate talked at length about how they would raise their child. It didn’t take them long to decide he or she would have an upbringing as normal as possible and that Kate’s parents would be closely involved in the life of their grandchild, just as Charles and Camilla. He or she would have the chance to stay in Bucklebury and do all the normal things there, especially in the early years.

‘’Nobody will recognize him of her there,’’ Kate said.

‘’Don’t count on that,’’ William said. ‘’Even if he or she is with Michael or Carole out and about, there is always somebody who will notice he or she is there. But you are right in some degree, though, it will be much less fuss than when we or Charles are present.’’ William then told Kate all about how Diana wanted to raise their boys with a sense of normality. ‘’It will be hard to keep up with it,’’ William decided, ‘’but we will make it work.’’ 

‘’Promise?’’ Kate asked. She couldn’t bear the idea that her child would not have the carefree upbringing in the country she so enjoyed herself. She of course knew that to some extent this was never a possibility, and never had been, but they could at least try to bring their children to explore the nature and outside world every now and then. 

‘’Promise,’’ William said. He knew how imported this was for Kate and felt a little sorry for her that they were living at Kensington Palace instead of their house at sea in Anglesey. He would leave his job to work as a fulltime Royal, but a nagging voice at the back of his head told him he wasn’t quite ready for that. And now, with a family on the way, William more than ever wanted a normal job: he was convinced this would be better for the upbringing he and Kate envisioned for their children. But William managed to put these thoughts away and focused on the here and now, something he had actually learned from Kate during their university days. 

Kate slumped on the couch, not feeling comfortable anymore. William stood up from his chair and kneeled before her. It was now the 21th of July and their baby was already a week late. It was hot and humid outside, which made that Kate would rather stay in the shower all day long, water turned cold. Instead, though, she was lying in her chair, wearing as few clothes as possible. In fact, this morning she couldn’t be bothered to put on pants and just walked around in some sport shorts. They had a stretch waistband, which expanded around her belly. It helped her to get more comfortable, but only to some extent. ‘’Oh, I do hope it will be really soon now,’’ she said to William, but staring into the space. 

‘’Marcus said they would monitor you very closely now,’’ William replied. He felt pity for his wife and could not imagine what she had to go through right now. Their doctor had stopped by this morning to check on Kate again. Everything was still alright, and Kate was only a little effaced yet. That meant it could be a while before their baby would announce his appearance. ‘’You have to tell me the moment you start to be really uncomfy, Kate. I’ll call the hospital and let them know we are on our way.’’ They and Marcus had discussed the possibility of Kate being induced, but neither mother or doctor approved this measure. Only when the baby would be uncomfortable, too big to be inside his mother, they would do that. Until then, Kate had to suck it up. 

‘’Those birth things didn’t even work,’’ Kate grumbled. ‘’I can’t even look at spicy food anymore and don’t start talking about having sex with you. I won’t come out of this chair all day.’’ 

William couldn’t help but chuckle, although the situation wasn’t really funny. They had gone on walks on their grounds, drank lots of herbal tea, ate spicy food and had lots of sex, but their child just was too comfortable. Marcus’ explanation that mothers who had suffered from HG are more likely to give birth late had made sense, but did not really lighten the mood. William stood up.

‘Where are you going?’’ Kate asked. If she was going to be miserable, she sure as hell wasn’t going to do that by herself. William had to stay with her. ‘’Don’t you dare take off and play video games now! What if I drop something and you aren’t here to pick it up for me? What if I have to pee? You have to help me! You can’t just take off and leave your heavily pregnant wife all by herself!”’ Kate was practically ranting. ‘’What the hell are you smiling about?’’ 

William stifled his laugh, not wanting to upset Kate more. He knew he could expect this behavior from her, the books had taught him that well enough. He was the only person Kate could take it out on and he was happy to be the punching bag for the last days. He kissed her on the head. ‘’I was going to get you some cold water, but as I see you’d rather have me stay –‘’

‘’No, no, please,’’ Kate said with a pleading voice. ‘I didn’t mean it, I am so sorry!’’ She give him her puppy eyes. 

William winked at her. ‘’Be right back.’’

‘’And bring some cookies!’’ Kate yelled after him. ‘’And some sweets! Make it a lot!”

A few moments later, William was already back and fell down on the couch, flicking through the channels on the television. 

‘’Too bad Wimbledon is over,’’ Kate said. ‘’That at least took my mind of things.’’ 

William smiled. ‘’Yeah, it was like I wasn’t even there.’’ 

‘’If you were sitting next to me I might punch you on the shoulder,’’ Kate said.

‘’Why do you think I am over here?’’ 

Kate laughed out loud. In moments like these she could forget how uncomfortable she really was. She took another sip of her water and then suddenly, she froze, her arm with her glass hanging in mid-air.   
William immediately sprung to action. ‘’What’s wrong? Is the baby coming? Did your water broke?’’ 

Kate pulled up her other hand, signaling he should be silent. He did, but did not stop watching her intently. Kate slowly put her glass on the table and tried to concentrate on what she was feeling. After a while, she started to breathe again. ‘’It was nothing,’’ she said to William. ‘’I think.’’

‘’You think?’’ William eyes looked as though they would fall out of his head. 

Kate immediately got irritated again. ‘’Yes, I know how my body feels, Will. When I say it’s nothing, it’s nothing, alright?’’ As soon as she spoke those words, she regretted them, even more so when she saw the inevitable hurt in William’s eyes. She knew she was hard on him these days, but she couldn’t help it. She would make up for it when this all was over and they would have a happy baby in their arms. She opened her mouth to apologize, but William was quicker.

‘’I know, darling. Don’t say anything. I can see the shock of you talking to me like that in your eyes.’’ 

Kate didn’t like she was that obvious, but on the other hand she was glad William could see how she truly felt. ‘’Thank you,’’ she just said. She stretched out her arm to him and William grasped her hand, helping her to stand up. When she stood on her feet, he carefully embraced her. When he kissed to top of her head, he whispered, ‘’in a matter of days, this will all be over. Then we have a little child to care for and to love.’’ 

Kate nodded, looking up at him. ‘’I know, that is what I remind myself off all the time. That is what keeps me going.’’

‘’So –‘’ William said, ‘’wanna play a video game? It can be just like watching Wimbledon, it will take your mind off things and won’t be as tiresome as reading your book all day long.’’

Kate had to admit that was true. She had read four books in two days and was up to something new. ‘’Okay,’’ she said, which made William’s eyes glimmering with joy. She normally didn’t play a video game, preferring other things to keep herself busy. ‘’But not something too intense, like Wii Tennis. Something I can do from the couch.’’ 

William put one controller in his hand and took the other one himself. ‘’Here, sit down. We’ll play a Mario race game, it’s quite fun.’’

Kate raised an eyebrow. ‘’Isn’t that for little kids?’’

‘’Just race me,’’ William said. ‘’You’ll like it.’’

And that Kate did. As always when playing a game, she got really competitive, as did William. Both of them couldn’t stand losing. 

‘’I demand a rematch!’’ Kate yelled. She sucked at it, and William had had a lot more of practice. ‘’And this time, be nice to me and let me win!’’

‘’Alright,’’ William said, wanting to keep Kate happy and not freaked out. 

‘’No, no!’’ she cried. ‘’Don’t let me win! I want to win of my own accord!’’ 

‘’Whatever you wish, honey.’’ William started another match. ‘’You choose the ground and cars, okay?’’ 

‘’Shit!’’ Kate exclaimed some time later. She had lost the second and third match as well.

‘’You know what, darling? I will make us dinner and you can play against the computer, get some training, okay? Maybe then it will go better.’’ 

But Kate didn’t even listen, she was completely focused on the screen in front of her. After a while, she noticed William had been in the kitchen for a long time, but before she started worrying she remembered she didn’t even know what he was cooking and how long it should take. She shrugged and started another game. She was really getting the hang of it now she didn’t have to compete with William, who was almost a professional at these games. And he had been right, although it was Mario, it still was fun. More fun actually than all those lifelike race games. The colours appealed to her and she liked the silly little cars and the upgrades when you rode over a specific object. All of a sudden, her car would fly forwards. She could use things like that in matches against William. She was in the midst of the next game when she felt her baby move. Normally, this didn’t get her attention that much, she was used to it by now. But when she felt this little kick, she realized he or she had kept very quiet today. This was unusual. Kate’s hands started shaking and she put down the controller. Could this then be the day? Finally? Still trembling, she saw William entered the living room again, with two plates in his hand. He quickly put them down when he saw how pale Kate was looking. ‘’Honey, are you okay? What is happening? You are freaking me out, that’s how pale you look.’’ 

‘’The baby kicked for the first time today,’’ Kate said to him, with a shaky voice. ‘’He has been quiet all day and that is not like him. Or her. So I thought, it could be really close now.’’ She tried to smile at William, but it wasn’t really convincing. All of a sudden she was scared, although she had been prepared thoroughly. William, sensing her feelings, immediately comforted her, saying all the right things that Kate needed to hear. 

‘’Kate, poppet. Look at me. Breathe. That’s right, you can do it.’’ He put her hands in his and forced Kate to keep looking at him. ‘’Breathe in. Good girl. Now breathe out. You can do this. We have practiced breathing. You have read all the books in the world. Your mum has prepared you and Marcus as well. This is going to be fine. Do you hear me? You are a mom and you will instinctively know how to act when the time is there. Believe me. Breathe.’’

And Kate breathed. Slowly, she became less scared and more convinced of her own skills. She was a mom, for nine months already. Everything was fine with her and her baby. They both were strong and healthy. William is right, she could do this. So she breathed in the same rhythm as him. 

‘’Good girl.’’ William said when she was calmed down again. ‘’I made pizza by myself, extra veggies on your one. You want a bite?’’ 

‘’Yes, please,’’ Kate said. Baking his own pizzas was a thing William had learned the last couple of months and he was getting rather good at it. They both ate in silence, thinking about what happened. They really felt how close the birth was coming now, it could be any moment. Occasionally they would look at each other and gave the other silly grins. The tension was almost tangible. They had been waiting for so long and everything was ready for weeks now. It had been a day of disappointment when Kate’s due day came and went quietly. 

‘’That was a good pizza,’’ Kate said, rubbing her stomach. ‘’Our peanut and I both really enjoyed it.’’ 

‘’Glad to hear that,’’ William smiled. He stood up to bring their plates back to the kitchen and started to clean up. In the midst of his endeavors, he peeped through the door and saw Kate was engrossed in the race game again. Smiling to himself, he loaded the dishwasher. 

Kate really focused on her game. She was running first and was determined to keep that position. It would be her first time winning one lapse. Her whole body moved with the movements of the car. But when a particularly difficult bend to the left came up, Kate felt something wet between her legs, followed by a cramp in her belly. The controller fell out of her hands. ‘’WILLIAM!’’ she yelled of the top of her lungs. 

The door banged open and a flushed William appeared. ‘’What’s the matter? Kate, I swear, if this is another kick, I –‘’ But he didn’t get to finish his sentence. He saw the pool of fluids surrounding Kate. He stared.

Then Kate said, ‘’I think my water just broke.’’


	15. Chapter 15

William looked as if his eyes were about to fall out of his head. His mouth hung slightly open. Kate just stared at him, feeling the wetness between her thighs with her hand, when another contraction hit her. Cramping, she bent her back and tried to master the pain. Seeing Kate like this, agony and stress written over her face, brought William back to reality. He snapped out of his shocked state and got his wit together. He rushed over to Kate, gently pushing her back on the couch with his arm, while he retrieved his phone from his pocket with his free hand and dialled Marcus’ number. He quickly explained the situation to him and Marcus promised to come over as quickly as possible to see how far along Kate was. 

William told Kate this and tried to soothe her. She wanted to go to the hospital straight away, but William insisted they waited for doctor Setchell first. ‘’Maybe this will take hours and then you’d rather be home, darling,’’ he said, his voice almost close to a whisper. 

Kate looked at him like she wanted to shoot a bullet through his head. ‘’Hours? Are you kidding me?’’

William knew better than to argue with her at this point. His wife couldn’t think rationally anymore. So instead of arguing with her, he just said, ‘’let’s wait for Marcus, alright? He will know what to do, he is the specialist.’’ He set to the task of rubbing Kate’s back and whispering sweet nothings to her, anything to keep her mind from wandering. After a few minutes the doorbell rang. William jumped up. Kate stood up as well, trying to get more comfortable by walking around a bit. 

‘’Hi, there, Marcus,’’ she said when her doctor came walking into the room. She only managed a weak smile. 

“Kate,’’ he said, spreading his arms. ‘’I understand your labour has finally begun. Do you mind if I take a quick look?’’ 

‘’Not at all, that’s what you are here for. Do you want to go upstairs to the bedroom?’’

‘’Only if you are capable.’’

Kate nodded. ‘’I think so.’’ She looked sideways at William, who immediately walked towards her to help her get to the stairs and to their bedroom. 

*

‘’Well,’’ Marcus said as Kate pulled up her pants again, ‘’this certainly will take a while. You are barely dilated yet. It’s no point of going to the hospital already, unless you think you are more comfortable there.’’ He looked at Kate and William.

William immediately spoke up. ‘’I’ll be on board with every decision Kate makes,’’ he said, looking at his wife. Kate was still lying on the bed, hands clutched around her stomach and eyes closed. ‘’I want to stay here as long as possible,’’ Kate said eventually. ‘’I mean, the hospital is great, but I will feel more at easy when I am within my own surroundings.’’

Marcus nodded. ‘’Then I will play house in the staff quarters. Call me if anything comes up. I will check up on you every two hours, alright? If you start having contractions that are less time apart, call me immediately. But I don’t think that will be the case, you have to be more dilated for that.’’ He gathered his belongings and petted Kate softly on her shoulder. ‘’You are doing great. I am staying close-by.’’

‘’Thank you,’’ Kate said. Marcus turned around and left the room. When he was gone, Kate let out a loud sigh. ‘’What’s the time, Will?’’

William checked his watch. ‘’Ten pm. Why?’’ 

‘’Maybe you should go to bed and get as much sleep as possible. I will try the same, but I don’t think I will manage to get some.’’

‘’Are you crazy?’’ William asked, his tone softer than the meaning of his question. 

Kate smiled at him and gestured he should come lie down with her. ‘’No, I am not. You heard what Marcus said, this could still take a long time. Have you seen the episode of Friends where Rachel –‘’

‘’Okay, okay,’’ William chuckled. ‘’But I don’t think it will take our child that long to come out.’’

Kate just shrugged. ‘’You never know. I am prepared for the worst. And I want you to rest.’’

‘’I can’t sleep when I know you are in pain.’’  
Kate put on her stubborn face and pouted her lip a little bit. ‘’William, no offence, but you can’t do anything for me now, except make me some drink or something, which I can do by myself.’’ 

‘’But I want to-‘’

‘’No.’’

‘’What, no?’’ William sounded a little bit shocked. ‘’You know, I am the father of this child, so you don’t have the right to tell me how involved I should be.’’

Kate heard the hurt in his voice. ‘’Honey, I don’t want to shut you out of this birth, I really don’t.’’ Her voice became less harsh. ‘’But, please, listen to me. I am not that very far along. Marcus said that, I can feel that. It can take hours, it can even be around tomorrow afternoon when our baby will actually be born. I know I can hold out until then because my body is pumping with hormones now. But you can’t. When the time is there we have to go to the hospital and I will actually be in labour, I want you by my side.’’ She saw William was about to speak again. ‘’Let me finish. I know you will be by my side, the whole time. Just like we planned to. But I want you to be rested as much as possible before that. God knows what will be thrown at us when we have this little treasure in our hands. Sleepless nights and such. So I think at least one of us should get as much sleep as possible, whenever possible.’’ She gave William a little grin. ‘’And in this case, it is you. I know I can’t sleep. I will try and lie down next to you, but I doubt I will actually fall asleep.’’ 

‘’Will you wake me immediately whenever anything, anything, happens?’’ 

Kate smiled at him, knowing he had understood what she was trying to make clear to him. She softly kissed his lips. ‘’Of course I will.’’

‘’Alright then.’’ William lifted his hips and pulled down his trousers and lifted his shirt over his head. When he pulled up the covers to his chin and tried to get comfortable, he said, ‘’I still feel weird for going to bed when you are in the early stages of labour.’’ 

Kate barely stifled her laugh. ‘’Yes, you have made your point very clear.’’ She snuggled against him and felt him relax almost immediately. ‘’Sleep, honey.’’

Kate focused on her husband’s breathing for a while, and tried to breathe in the same, even rhythm. After a while she noticed he had fallen asleep, his body completely relaxed against hers. She slowly moved away from him, so she would not wake him when another contraction hit her. They weren’t too bad yet and still far between. She glanced at the clock on her nightstand and saw the minutes pass. 11 pm, then midnight, then 1 am in the morning. Her contractions came every twenty minutes or so. At 1.30 Kate started to feel more uncomfortable and decided to get up and walk around for a bit. The contractions were slightly more intense, but did not follow up quicker. She put on her bathrobe and after seeing William was still sleeping, quietly left the room. She padded downstairs and put the kettle on. When she watched the water starting to boil, she felt the first contraction near her back. Gasping, she clutched the counter and tried to steady herself and breathe evenly. After taking a few deep breaths, the pain ebbed away again. She got her phone from her pocket and dialled Marcus’ number. After explaining the situation to him, he said he would come over immediately to check up on her again. ‘’And don’t walk the stairs again,’’ he warned. ‘’You don’t want to be doing that when another contraction comes up.’’

‘’Hey there,’’ Kate said, when Marcus entered the kitchen. ‘’I made you a cuppa as well. It’s a bribe.’’ 

Marcus chuckled. ‘’A bribe for what?’’ 

Kate blushed a little. ‘’I can’t walk the stairs anymore, but I promised William to wake him up whenever something happened. And I don’t want to wake my secretary, everybody needs their sleep. But as you were up anyway, I thought –‘’ Her voice trailed off and she looked at Marcus expectantly. 

He grinned. ‘’I am on it, but I don’t think he will like it.’’

‘’I think he won’t care. His only concern is how I am doing.’’

Marcus put down his cup on the saucer. ‘’Be right back. You stay put.’’ 

**

‘’Oh, man, this will be the longest birth in the history of the world,’’ Kate panted, hands clenched into fists. She was leaning on the dinner table for support, with William softly rubbing her back. A few hours had passed since Marcus visit earlier this morning. He had come to check up on her a few more times, but not much had changed. Kate was now two centimetres dilated. There was progress, but very slow progress. And now she had had enough. The pain was increasing and her patience was wearing out rapidly. ‘’What’s the time?’’ she asked William. 

‘’Four am.’’ His hands travelled up and he started to massage her shoulders. ‘’You are doing a fantastic job, baby. I am so proud of you, for holding out so long. You are just too comfy a home for our little one.’’ He knew it didn’t matter what he said to his wife. He had noticed she had stopped listening to what he said some hours ago, but knew the tone of his voice soothed her a bit. He desperately tried to stay calm and patient for her sake, although he wanted to grab Marcus by the shoulders and rattle him until he would speed the process along. ‘’What do you want to do, honey?’’ he asked. 

Kate turned around and tried to get comfortable on the couch. ‘’I want to start making phone calls.’’ They had decided not to call their parents, because it could take a long time before they would actually be heading towards the hospital. They both knew their parents wouldn’t get any rest before the baby would be born. Now, they were blissfully ignorant. ‘’And then maybe it is time to go to the Lindo Wing,’’ Kate concluded. ‘’The contractions are speeding up, the new ones hurt more than the last, so I think the birth is really starting now.’’ She looked up at William. ‘’What do you think?’’ 

‘’Thinking you are right. You stay here, and I will inform everyone. Grandma, Dad, your parents. I will let Marcus know, so he can go to the hospital before us and make sure everything is ready when we arrive. I will wake Jamie and Rebecca, so they can put all the wheels in motion. Can you be without me for ten minutes? I will make it quick.’’ William looked concerned, seeing Kate was in so much pain. 

‘’I’ll manage. I know we are heading out now, so that gives me something to hold on to. Once we are in the hospital, it will really be happening. I need a minute to process that thought.’’ 

William gave Kate a quick kiss and left the room. Kate looked around. Everything was ready. Their bag was packed for weeks and standing by the door. Their car was parked close by the front door and she was wearing what she wanted to wear for the birth. Her phone battery was still good. She sipped from her iced water and tried to patiently wait for William. She focussed on the low tones coming from the hallway and tried to forget her pain. It was all for their child, soon to be born. She could endure this, she had endured it for nine months already. This was just the last phase. She repeated that to herself until William came into the room again, holding up her coat. ‘’It’s all set. Let’s go.’’ 

‘’Are you scared?’’ Kate asked William as he drove them the short route to the Lindo Wing. 

‘’No. You are doing a fantastic job and soon will be surrounded by the most amazing doctors in the country.’’ 

Kate nodded, set at ease by his answer. Little did she know William was scared. Scared out of his mind, but he didn’t want to impart that information onto his wife. She should just focus on giving birth, not on his own feelings. Yes, he was scared. Scared something went wrong with Kate or their child. His mind told him everything was under control but his heart would not believe him. He turned the corner and parked the car at the backside of the hospital building. He rushed over to the other side of the car and helped Kate out. They quickly made their way in via a back door, as planned. He spotted one photographer, it was too early for the others apparently. The man respectfully put away his camera and mouthed ‘’good luck.’’ With a quick nod William acknowledged him and he ushered Kate in. 

The hospital staff were already there to take over from William. A nurse put Kate in a wheelchair and brought her to their own, private room. William slung the bag over his shoulder and followed suit. He helped Kate get in to bed and change into a hospital gown. He pulled her jumper over her head so she could warm up again. She was chilly from sweating so much from the pain. Marcus and the hospital staff present in the room did a quick exam and reassured William and Kate that everything was processing as normal as could be, just a little slowly. ‘’But things are evolving more quickly than they were earlier today,’’ Marcus said to Kate, with an encouraging smile on his face. ‘’If the baby keeps up this pace, he or she will be born around noon. You can see the finish line.’’ He left the room, while a nurse stayed to make sure they were comfortable. ‘’Can I make you some breakfast, Your Highness?’’ 

‘’Please,’’ William said, ‘’call me William. We will be working on a very intimate level. And yes please, but just some toast and tea. I want to eat here with Catherine and she can’t endure strong smells.’’

‘’Of course.’’ The nurse left and William and Kate were left alone. William scanned the room, something he did not have time for when they entered. The doctors had immediately wanted to check up on Kate. Some machines were beeping and he knew they were monitoring his wife’s and baby’s heartbeat. Another machine kept track on Kate’s blood pressure. If that was becoming too high, they would opt for a C-section. Luckily, everything looked very normal: Kate wanted a natural birth. William gaze then travelled to his wife, who was lying on her bed with her eyes closed. Her face was sweaty and her hair was a mess. Two drips were attached to her arm, one to keep her hydrated and one to give her some pain medication. 

‘’If you can’t stand me eating in this room, just tell me,’’ William said to Kate, who now opened her eyes. 

‘’I will.’’ She tried to breathe through another contraction and William breathed with her, hoping his steady rhythm was helping Kate. 

‘’They are getting worse and worse,’’ Kate said with gritted teeth when the pain had subsided again. 

‘’I know, honey,’’ William said emphatically, running out of soothing things to say to her. ‘’Can I get you anything? Some iced chips, something to nibble on?’’ 

Kate just shook her head. ‘’No, thanks. I think I am going to be sick when I eat anything. Do you know that feeling you are in so much pain you think you will throw up? That’s how I feel.’’ 

William’s face changed from watchful to concern so fast it made Kate laugh. ‘’Thank you,’’ she said. ‘’That cheered me up. What’s the time?’’ 

‘’Almost 6.30 already.’’ 

‘’Will you do something for me?’’ 

‘’Of course,’’ William replied. ‘’What is it?’’

‘’Call my parents, let them know how things are going now. I am sure they want to come to London and so they should get an update.’’

William kissed the top of Kate’s head. ‘’I will take care of it. Can I stay in the room?’’

Kate smiled. ‘’Of course. Can you put them on speaker phone?’’

‘’Sure.’’ William tapped the screen on his phone and dialled the Middleton’s number. ‘’Speaker is on,’’ he said to Kate. 

‘’’Hello?’’ a groggy voice on the other line spoke.

‘’Mike?’’ William asked, somewhat surprised. It sounded like Michael had just woken up. ‘’Did I wake you by calling?’’

‘’Is that William? Are they in the hospital yet? Ask how everything is going?’’ Carole’s voice could be heard from a distance. 

William chuckled, which didn’t go unnoticed by Michael. ‘’You heard that, didn’t you?’’

‘’Yeah,’’ William admitted. ‘’Hi Carole. I have put you guys on speakerphone so Kate can listen in as well.’’

‘’How is she doing?’’ Michael asked. “Where are you?’’   
‘’In the Lindo Wing, in our own suite here. We arrived only an hour or so ago. The doctors here, including Marcus, did another check up on Kate and told us everything is progressing normally, only a bit slow. But it is speeding up a little now, fortunately. Kate’s contractions in her back have subsided, so she isn’t in as much pain as she was back home. But still, it hurts.’’

‘’I can imagine,’’ Michael said, ‘’and it isn’t easy to just stand next to her.’’

‘’Tell me about it,’’ William replied. ‘’She is still in a lot of pain, and doesn’t have an appetite.’’

‘’Oh, don’t worry about that, that’s normal,’’ Carole said, this time a lot closer to the phone. 

‘’Are you guys planning on coming to London?’’ William asked.

‘’Yes!’’ Carole said immediately. ‘’We are already packed, we only have to hop in the car.’’

‘’But we don’t want to barge in there,’’ Michael said, in a much calmer voice. ‘’We’ll check in to a hotel.’’ 

‘’By the look of things, the baby will be born around noon, according to doctor Setchell.’’

‘’At what time did Kate’s water broke again?’’ Carole asked.

‘’Around 10 pm,’’ William replied. ‘’Why?’’

‘’Well, then a birth around noon is fast,’’ Carole replied. ‘’Most first births take up to twenty four hours.’’ 

Kate’s eyes went wide with shock. 

‘’Shit,’’ William muttered. ‘’Carole, you are on speaker phone,’’ he said again. ‘’Kate heard you.’’ 

‘’Oh, crap,’’ Carole said, shock evident in her voice. ‘’That was really bad of me. Shit, her own mother should comfort her, not make her upset.’’

The door opened and William turned around to see who came in. ‘’Gotta go now, guys. Nurse is here again. I will call as soon as we have more news. Drive safely.’’ He ended the call and turned his attention back to Kate, who seemed on the verge of crying. He joined her on the bed and pulled her close. The nurse got the message and closed the door again.

‘’Hey, it’s going to be okay. Your mother was really upset when she realized what she had said.’’ 

Kate shook her head and wiped her tears away from her cheek. ‘’No, it’s not that.’’

‘’Then what?’’ William asked surprised. 

‘’Mum is right. I know the birth of your first child can take up to 24 hours, it is normal even. It is just the realization that Marcus only said that to make me feel better, to make sure I could hold out for so long. But now, now I –‘’ Kate’s voice trailed away and she started whimpering a bit. 

‘’Shhhh, honey, it’s alright. You can do this.’’

‘’No, I am so tired. And it hurts so much!’’

‘’Listen to me,’’ William said sternly. He had to get through to Kate. She couldn’t give up now. ‘’I know you are tired. I know you are hurting. And it’s killing me just to watch you, so I can’t imagine how you must really feel right now. But you are the strongest woman I know. You made it through your sickness earlier in this pregnancy. You carried our child for more than nine months. You are healthy. Our baby is healthy. He or she just needs to come out. That’s all. Then this will all be over. Then we will be holding our child in our arms. Close your eyes.’’

Kate didn’t even argue. 

William continued. ‘’Think about the day I showed you the nursery, all decorated and filled with all that cute baby stuff. Think about the crib there and the one in the living room. Think about the yard where our son or daughter will play on the swing, or play catch with Lupo. Think about celebrating Christmas morning together, think about Dad telling him or her stories about fairies in his garden. Think about that.’’ He stopped talking, hoping the see the effect of his words on Kate’s face. He looked at her for a while and thought he could see her features relax and the corners of her mouth turn up, albeit slight. He then thought it was safe to gently stroke her cheek, at which Kate opened her eyes again.

‘’Thank you,’’ she said. ‘’For reminding what I get back for going one day through pain. It’s worth it. I can do this.’’ 

‘’Indeed you can,’’ William said, handing her a bottle of iced water. Kate took it without protest and sipped a little, before another contraction made his presence known. Kate yelled a little, but was decided to get through it. Breathing heavily, she clutched her arms around her big round tummy when the nurse came in again, asking how everything is going.

‘’Shit,’’ Kate said. ‘’But I have decided not to complain anymore, just go on with it. It hurts and it sucks, but we will have something so beautiful for it, it’s worth the pain.’’

‘’That’s the spirit,’’ the nurse said smiling. ‘’I am here to check up on your and your baby’s vitals.’’ She glanced at the monitors and was satisfied with what she saw. ‘’It all looks good, your baby isn’t in distress yet. The slow delivery is not affecting your child’s health.’’

‘’What happens if it is?’’ William asked.

‘’Then we will be monitoring Catherine non-stop and as soon as the baby’s heart rate drops or blood pressure goes up, we will have to perform an emergency C-section. But please don’t worry. You are going strong for a really long time now. If your child couldn’t handle it, then we would have noticed so already. Everything is going just fine.’’ 

Noon came and went, but it didn’t let William or Kate down. They knew there was progress and everything was still going okay. William made regular phone calls to his grandmother, father and Kate’s parents. Michael and Carole were now in London, as were James and Pippa. It was a comfort for Kate, knowing her closest family was near-by. After William had given his little pep talk to Kate, conversation was sparse. Kate had a hard time breathing through her contractions, which were following up more quickly, at last. William was in agony, seeing Kate having that much pain, but he knew his pain was nothing compared to hers. He did what he could, applying wet wash clothes to her forehead, rubbing her back, massaging her shoulders. Kate had taken to walking around again, being more able to handle the contractions in that way. Lying still was doing her no good. 

The dilation was progressing as well, an at three pm Kate was nearing the ten centimetres. By this point, she was in bed again, feet up in the footrests. William had taken his place by her head, holding her hand which she was squeezing heavily. She had a really hard time not pushing at the moment. 

‘’I can’t hold out anymore!’’ she yelled. Marcus, who sat between her legs, looked up.

‘’Yes, you can, Kate! I know you can! You are almost at ten centimetres. Just hold out a little longer.’’

‘’AAHHH,’’ Kate cried, when another contraction waved through her body. Her stomach muscles clenched tight and she prepared to push by instinct. 

‘’Breathe! Breathe! Breathe!’’ Marcus said, trying to keep his voice calm. William breathed in the supposed rhythm and forced Kate to join him. 

‘’Look at me,’’ he said. ‘’Look at me! Breathe with me. In – and out again. Good girl.’’

‘’Make it stop!’’ Kate gasped. 

‘’Ten centimetres,’’ Marcus said. ‘’With the next contraction, you can start pushing.’’

Kate let out a huge scream when she had the next contraction. 

‘’Push!’’ Marcus reminded her. 

Kate didn’t even have to push hard, her body was doing the work automatically. 

‘’Kate, you have to push harder, not much is happening here,’’ Marcus told her. 

‘’You can do this, baby, just squeeze my hand and give the next push all your strength.’’ William knew he was jabbering, but he didn’t care one bit. 

Marcus checked his watch and saw two minutes had passed. The next contraction could come any second now, and he was right. ‘’Push, Kate, push! Harder! Your child needs to come out. Push!’’

Kate screamed and did what she could. 

‘’Good girl,’’ Marcus said when the pain passed away again. Kate tried to catch her breath, knowing it wouldn’t take long before the next bout of pain made its presence known. With each contraction she tried to push harder than the last one, until Marcus finally said, 

‘’I can see the head! Next time, give it all your strength!’’ 

‘’That is what I am doing,’’ Kate panted. 

The next contraction came. ‘’Come on, Kate!’’ Marcus encouraged her. ‘’I can see the head, push harder! Good girl! Here he comes!’’ 

William didn’t think twice and let go of Kate’s hand just as Kate let out a massive roar. ‘’Oh my God,’’ he stammered as he saw the head of his son being born. 

‘’Oh my God what?’’ Kate shrieked. ‘’Don’t say that!’’ 

William reassured her. ‘’Oh, honey, it’s wonderful! I can see our child!’’  
‘’One more time, Kate, then your child will be born.’’ Marcus said, focussing on what he saw before him. 

Kate shut her eyes and clenched her fists, waiting for the inevitable next contraction. She was in so much pain after the head had come through, she didn’t think it could get any worse than this. She was right. The next contraction hurt, but didn’t tear her apart like the last one. She didn’t have to push as hard, her body took over. For a moment, there was absolute quiet, then, a baby started to cry. 

There was a ruffle of movement, and then Marcus placed a small, crying bundle on Kate’s chest. 

‘’Oh, my God,’’ William whispered, looking down at his wife and child. Kate carefully placed a hand on their new born, trying to shush him. ‘’Hey, little one,’’ she whispered. ‘’I am so glad you finally came out of me.’’ William bent over and placed a kiss on Kate’s head. ‘’I am so proud of you, darling. You did an amazing job.’’ 

‘’I am terribly sorry, but we have to take your child away for just a moment.’’ Marcus interrupted. 

‘’Wha- what is the sex?’’ Kate asked. William could slap himself for not asking that same question immediately after the birth.

‘’It is a beautiful baby boy,’’ Marcus smiled. ‘’We will clean him up just a bit. Within thirty seconds, you will have him back.’’ Kate nodded and Marcus took the little crying boy from her. 

William couldn’t stop beaming at his wife. ‘’A boy. A beautiful, small, perfect little boy.’’ 

Kate sniffed. ‘’Our Georgie.’’ William’s eyes welled up as he bent over to give Kate another hug. When he let go, Marcus said, ‘’here he is.’’ He placed the swaddled boy on Kate’s chest again. William and Kate both stared at the face of their new born son. It was still red and puffy, but so delicate, so small and so perfect. Very carefully, William placed a little kiss on his boy’s cheek. ‘’Welcome to the world, George. You are already very much loved.’’ Kate repeated his actions and then stared some more at the very small face. ‘’I can’t believe he is really here,’’ she said. She looked up at William and saw the raw emotion in his eyes. She knew she must look the same way. 

Both William and Kate were oblivious to the things that were going on around them. They were completely absorbed in looking at their tiny little son, who was now sleeping on his mother’s chest, covered by a small swaddle blanket and the covers of Kate’s bed. William was sitting next to her, arm wrapped around his shoulder. They both stared and stared, trying to memorize every detail of George’s face and the little movements he made with his mouth and nose. Once in a while they looked at each other and simply smiled. It took a few minutes before one of them spoke.

‘’We are a family,’’ Kate said softly. That phrase came in as bomb with William, realizing the full meaning of it now. He was responsible for this tiny human being and the person who had given birth to him. He felt a surge of raw love and protectiveness and realized, when he looked at her, that he loved Kate even more. He didn’t know that was possible. Kate was aware of the intensity of his stare. ‘’What’s the matter?’’ she asked him.

‘’I love you so, so, much,’’ William said, eyes welling up again. Kate, who was crying on and off, started sniffing again. ‘’Me too, Will,’’ was all she could manage to say. She then nodded to George. ‘’Look at him. He looks like you.’’ William chuckled a bit. ‘’I wouldn’t say that, he’s got your looks. He is perfect.’’


	16. Chapter 16

‘’Very good, Catherine,’’ the nurse spoke gently. ‘’Now lay him over your shoulder and try to burp him.’’ 

Kate had just fed George for the very first time. She carefully placed her new child against her and gently rubbed his tiny back. William was clicking away with his camera, wanting to capture every moment of Kate and George together. George burped and spit up a little. The nurse wanted to clean it, but William was quicker. ‘’No, please. Let me.’’ He cleared up the little bit of spit on Kate’s shoulder, who was now holding a very sleepy baby. His eyes were falling shut and he grumbled a little. William and Kate looked at him like he was the love of their lives. William quickly took another picture, before at last putting the camera away and taking his seat besides Kate’s bed again. 

‘’Would you want to place him in the crib next to you?’’ the nurse asked. ‘’Your dinner has arrived.’’ 

Kate shook her head, gesturing to William he should take him. He only had held his son for a few minutes, because George needed to be checked, weighed and cleaned up. William immediately got the message and stood up to take his son in his arms, and then set down again. Kate got the nurse’s attention and waved to the camera. The nurse smiled and quickly made a picture of William and George together. A plate with food was placed in front of Kate, who never took her eyes from her husband and son while she was eating her dinner. William was oblivious to all his surroundings. He smiled down at George, who was making small sounds with his mouth, moving his lips a little. Kate could not believe he was actually here. She could remember very clearly what she was doing just one day earlier: William was about to order pizza and they were immersed in a stupid video game. And now they had a child, they had become parents to a wonderful small little boy. Kate swallowed hard, not wanting to start crying again. Her emotions were all over the place since the birth. She was exhausted, weepy and hungry. Every limb in her body seemed to ache with fatigue, something the nurse was very attentive to. 

‘’Catherine, may I suggest you will try to sleep as well, with George by your side?’’ she asked Kate as soon as she had finished eating. 

Kate yawned by way of giving her an answer. 

‘’Does this mean I have to let go of him?’’ William asked, pouting a bit. Then he smiled. ‘’Just kidding, you two can sleep together. I will head out and eat in another room, and make all the phone calls.’’ 

Kate nodded. ‘’Please. But can you not say anything to the press yet?’’ 

William smiled at his wife. ‘’Of course, poppet. That’s what we agreed to, right? Now, you try and get some sleep. When you wake up I will be here again.’’ He placed a soft kiss against her lips. ‘’Sweet dreams.’’ 

When he left the room he nearly stumbled into Jamie, his secretary. ‘’Congratulations, William,’’ he said, hugging him briefly. 

‘’Thanks,’’ William beamed. The smile appeared to not being able to leave his face. ‘’I was just going to call the Queen.’’

‘’Did everything go alright?’’ Jamie asked. ‘’Is Catherine doing okay?’’

‘’She is sleeping at the moment, as is our son,’’ William said, biting back the word ‘’George.’’ It was enough the hospital staff knew his name, and as much as he trusted Jamie, he and Kate decided to tell him together, when he came in to visit them. 

Jamie’s eyes went wide. ‘’Son? Wow.’’ 

William chuckled. ‘’I hope you have a chance to meet him later tonight or tomorrow. What time is it, anyway?’’ 

‘’Almost seven,’’ Jamie replied. ‘’You are a father for a good ninety minutes. Now go and make that phone call. I can imagine the Queen being edgy for an update.’’ 

‘’I am sure she is.’’ William had made frequent phone call throughout the day to inform both families on Kate’s progress, but he knew they were all waiting for the phone call with the news they had become grand-grandparents, grandparents and uncle and aunt. 

‘’Hi, Gran,’’ William spoke, as soon as his grandmother had come to the phone. 

‘’Do you have good news, William?’’ she asked.

‘’Very,’’ he said, already beaming, ‘’Kate and I are the proud parents of a perfect baby boy.’’

‘’A boy?!’’

‘’Yes. And he is gorgeous.’’

‘’With you and Kate as his parents, I am sure he is,’’ chuckled the Queen. ‘’Congratulations, William. I must say, I am rendered a bit speech less. I am so, so very happy for the both of you.’’

‘’’Thank you, Gran,’’ William said. ‘’We both are over the moon, that’s for sure.’’

‘’How is Kate doing? It was a long delivery. She must be exhausted.’’

‘’She is, but she is sleeping now. She already had dinner, so I hope she will feel better soon. She can’t sleep through the night, because of the feedings, but I hope George doesn’t keep her up anywise.’’

‘’George?’’ The Queen sounded surprised. ‘’Did you just call your son George?’’

William swallowed hard. This was not the way he wanted to tell his grandmother what name they had chosen for their baby. She apparently could sense his feelings, and set him at ease about it. 

‘’Oh, Will, don’t feel bad. I know you wanted to tell me differently, but this is wonderful!’’ William could her his grandmother smiling, although she didn’t laugh out loud. It was just the way she spoke. 

‘’I don’t understand,’’ he said, still feeling a bit silly. 

‘’You are so at ease with him, he is already a part of your family. He completely fits in. He is no longer ‘your baby’, but already has his own name, by which you know him. He is George.’’ 

William started to see where she was getting at. ‘’So,’’ he said carefully, ‘’do you approve?’’ 

“Do I approve?’’ the Queen repeated. ‘’Do I have much of a choice?’’ 

‘’Of course you do!’’ William cried out. ‘’You are the Queen,’’ he added with a lower voice.

‘’William, I positively love the name George, and all what it represents. Please don’t worry.’’

‘’Okay,’’ William said, and he chuckled a bit. ‘’Do you want to know his other names? You will be the first to hear.’’

‘’Go ahead.’’ 

‘’George Alexander Louis,’’ William spoke. It was the first time he said all those names together. They fit George perfectly, he thought. ‘’Gran?’’ he said, when he noticed she hadn’t replied yet.

‘’It – it’s truly beautiful, William. I can’t wait to meet him.’’

‘’I am sure that will be soon enough. Now, if you don’t mind, will you please pass on the good news to my beloved grandfather?’’ 

‘’Oh, Will, he is listening in with the other line,’’ the Queen chuckled. ‘’He is just staying silent. I personally think he can’t grasp the full meaning of this.’’

‘’Well, so can’t I,’’ William laughed. ‘’And now I will call Dad and Harry.’’

‘’Talk to you soon, Will.’’

‘’Bye, Granny.’’

William hung up and realized the big smile was still plastered to his face. Half an hour later, he had called everyone he had needed to call. Everyone had been completely over the moon with the news. Especially his father and Carole. Both had wanted to come to visit immediately, but William had convinced them to come tomorrow instead. Kate needed her rest and the three of them could use some time without all the enthusiastic family members. He then went looking for Jamie, who could now release the press release. Before the news went out, he wanted to make sure Kate was awake. When Clarence House would tweet the announcement of the birth of their baby boy, the people who had gathered in front of the hospital, would scream and shout with joy. He didn’t want Kate to be woken up by them. But fortunately, when he walked into their private suit again, Kate was already up and trying to get out of bed. 

‘’Shouldn’t you help her,’’ William asked the nurse a bit indignantly. He couldn’t believe she was just standing there, looking at Kate being clumsy. 

‘’She won’t let me,’’ the nurse shrugged, a smile playing around her lips. ‘’She thinks she can take a shower by herself.’’

William rushed forward when Kate started to wobble on her feet. ‘’Katie, please, don’t be so stubborn. You are the strongest woman I know, especially after seeing you give birth.’’ He held her firmly against her waist. ‘’Now let me help you get in the shower, okay? Then this fine, qualified nurse can help you rinse and clean.’’ 

‘’Alright,’’ Kate sighed. She then turned her head towards the nurse. ‘’I am sorry. I guess I need William to make me see how stupid I am being.’’ 

‘’Forget it,’’ she smiled. ‘’You are no different than other first-time mums. Now, let’s go.’’

‘’Wait,’’ Kate said. ‘’You made all the phone calls?’’

William nodded. ‘’I did. Granny was so happy she had trouble making coherent sentences.’’

Kate chuckled.

‘’And Dad and your Mum wanted to come over immediately, but I told them to come and see us tomorrow. I’d rather be with just the three of us, tonight. I am being selfish,’’ he grinned. 

‘’I don’t care,’’ Kate said smiling. ‘’And the press release?’’

‘’I will work on that while you take a shower,’’ he replied. ‘’I wanted to be sure you were awake and not be awoken by the shouting that will no doubt emerge when people read the news.’’ 

‘’Thank you,’’ Kate smiled. She then took the nurse’s arm. ‘’Let’s go. I could use a shower.’’ 

It only took a moment for William to give orders for the press release. It gave him the opportunity to sit beside his son’s crib and watch him sleep. It didn’t take long for the crowd standing outside the hospital to get notified of the birth. A massive wave of shouting and roaring soared through the slightly opened windows. It brought a smile to William’s face. It was wonderful people were genuinely happy for them. Unfortunately, all the shouting woke George up. He opened his eyes suddenly, looked bewildered at the ceiling for a moment and then started crying. It was a heart breaking sound, the cry of a new born child. William looked around, but he and George were the only people present in the room. Kate was still in the shower. William thought that could take a while; she was sore and needed to be cleaned very carefully, so the stitches would hold. He didn’t have much experience with very small babies, but this was his son. He decided to trust his instincts, so he carefully scooped little George in his arms and held him close to his chest to keep him warm. He gently rocked him back and forth, hoping this movement would calm him down. ‘’Hey there, little one. What’s the matter, huh?’’ William spoke softly. ‘’The people waking you up? Not five hours old and already the people are bothering you?’’ William chuckled a bit at his own joke. He looked down at George and saw his eyes were firmly shut again. He hadn’t had them open much. William kept talking. ‘’It is so nice to finally meet you, little boy. I am your Daddy. Your strong, tall Daddy. It’s my job to protect you from all the bad things in this world. You will only have sunshine and happiness in your life. I will work very hard to make that happen for you. You have an awesome Mummy as well, but of course you already knew that. You lived with her for nine months. She’s the best, honestly. But now it is time for you and me to catch up, Georgie. I want to know all about you. Right now, I want to know why you are crying. Are you hungry again? Or are you just distressed by the noise? Here, this may help.’’ Gently, William put his left pink in George’s mouth, which on which his son started to suck immediately. William was surprised how fast George went calm again and how strong his little mouth already was. He looked down at his son nibbling his finger and his chest swelled with pride. First daddy duty, check. William sat down on his chair, still hugging George to his chest. He got comfortable and rocked his legs back and forth, until George had fallen asleep again. The noise outside was still there, but a lot less loud than before. ‘’That was all for you, Georgie. The people outside are so happy you are born. But not as happy as your parents, because we truly are over the moon with you.’’ He smiled at his son, who was now sleeping again. William kept rocking his chair, afraid George might wake up again when he stopped doing so. After a while, he started nodding off himself. He had been up for almost twenty four hours and he, as was Kate, felt exhausted. 

A few minutes later, Kate emerged from the bathroom and stopped dead in her tracks when she saw the sight of William and George together. Her son had fallen asleep on his father’s chest, sucking his pink in his sleep. William was sitting with his head propped up against the back of the chair. Walking on tip toes, Kate made her way to the cabinet on which the camera was lying and quickly took a few photographs before she climbed in bed again. ‘’They are so precious, together,’’ she whispered to nobody in particular. The nurse was still cleaning up the bathroom, so she was alone. Looking at her husband and son, she felt like crying again, but this time it were tears of happiness. 

William woke when the nurse came back into the room. He grinned sheepishly at Kate, who beamed back at him. ‘’You are a fantastic Daddy,’’ she whispered. George woke as well, startled by the sudden movements of his father. For a while, he was quiet, looking as if he was in a lot of pain, when suddenly a nasty smell filled the room. 

‘’Ah,’’ the nurse said, ‘’it looks like somebody digested his dinner.’’ Kate laughed, William scrunched his nose. 

‘’Don’t be a baby,’’ Kate said to him. ‘’It’s not that bad.’’

‘’Not for you, no,’’ William shot back, grinning. ‘’I am way closer to him than you are at the moment.’’ 

‘’Do you want me to take care of that?’’ the nurse asked William, preparing to take over George, who was now crying again. But William shook his head fervently.

‘’Oh, no, no. Let me do it, please. But I might need your instructions.’’ He looked at her expectantly. 

The nurse smiled. ‘’Sure.’’

Together, William doing exactly as instructed, they changed George’s diaper for the first time. When George was dressed again, William cuddled him and turned around to face Kate. 

‘’Good job, sweetie,’’ she said smiling. ‘’Can I hold him now?’’ 

‘’Of course.’’ William placed George back in Kate’s arms. ‘’Shall we go to bed in a little while?’’

‘’Yes, please,’’ Kate sighed. ‘’I don’t think I can keep my eyes open for much longer. I will feed George one more time and then I can sleep for a couple of hours.’’ 

*

The next morning, William was up early. Kate had fed George two times tonight, the last one being at 5 am. He hadn’t really slept much after that. Kate did, luckily. One of the nurses had offered him a different room to sleep in, but he had hastily declined. He wouldn’t sleep somewhere else just to get a decent night’s rest. He wanted to be together, as a family, these first nights. And he was glad he was part of it. Kate struggled a bit, feeding George minutes after she woke from a deep sleep herself. William had made sure she didn’t fall asleep during the feeding and let George slip out of her grasp. He was the one that burped his son, so Kate could go back to sleep immediately when George was done eating. He was the one to change his diaper again, when his baby woke during the two feedings this night. Kate had slept soundly through this, though. And now he was lying in his own bed, with George on his chest. Blankets covered both of them. It felt very warm and fuzzy, William thought. He almost laughed out loud when he realized he was actually thinking this. He was getting soft within a day of the birth of his son. He chuckled quietly, looking down at a sleeping George. His son was now twelve hours old and still thriving. The nurses were very glad with his progress and the doctor was very happy with Kate’s condition. If everything was still okay this morning, they could leave the hospital soon. William didn’t want anything more than drive his new family home. They would stay a few days in their Kensington Palace apartment and then depart for Bucklebury. The plan was to stay some weeks with Mike and Carole, to get to know George and to get the hang of parenting without all the city noises and such. In Bucklebury they wouldn’t be disturbed. Kate stirred and William turned his head to watch her wake up. It was now nearing six o’clock in the morning. 

‘’Good morning, beautiful,’’ he said softly. 

‘’Morning,’’ Kate smiled back. Her smile widened when she saw George sleeping on his chest. ‘’How did you sleep? It’s weird not waking up right next to you.’’ For Kate’s comfort, they each had their own bed this night. 

‘’I slept fine. I even changed a diaper in the middle of it.’’ 

‘’You woke up a third time?’’ Kate said, slightly shocked. ‘’You must be completely worn out.’’

William shook his head. ‘’Not at all. I am still on such a high from this little guy. I have never felt so energetic. How did you sleep, though?’’

‘’Short’’ Kate said truthfully. ‘’But well. I mean, there is no escaping his feedings, but when I did sleep, I slept soundly.’’

‘’Good. I wish I could scoop over and kiss you good morning.’’ 

‘’You can still do that, you know.’’

‘’Hang on.’’ Very carefully, William removed the blanket from him and George and pressed him close to his chest, arm supporting his body and head. Within two steps he stood by Kate’s bed and climbed in, placing George very carefully between them. He then bent over his son to kiss his wife good morning. He felt Kate smiling against his lips. ‘’What?’’ he said.

‘’Look at us,’’ she giggled. ‘’How idyllic this picture must look.’’ They both looked down on George, who was blissfully unaware of anything happening around him. 

‘’I think he will wake up soon,’’ Kate said. ‘’It’s almost breakfast time for him. And he needs to be dressed impeccably, he will receive a lot of visitors today.’’ She winked at William at her last words. 

*  
The visit of Mike and Carole had been very emotional. Both Kate’s parents were a bit lost for words, when they sat down on the couch and William placed George in Carole’s arms. At that moment Mike even retrieved a handkerchief out of his pocket. Kate was crying again, but it were only tears of pure happiness. Carole just stared at the little baby in her arms, rocking him a little bit. George had just been fed, so he was now sleeping peacefully in his grandmother’s arms. William and Kate told them how the birth had gone. 

‘’How are you feeling now?’’ Michael asked his daughter. 

‘’Weepy’’ Kate said, smiling through her tears. ‘’And happy. Very happy.’’ 

‘’Any pain?’’ 

‘’Just sore, Dad. But nothing extreme. This morning I could shower by myself, so the nurse was very proud of me.’’ 

Mike beamed at his daughter. ‘’We are too, darling. Your mother and me. You have no idea how proud we are of you, and how happy you made us by bringing our grandson into this world.’’

Carole shifted in her seat, wanting to give George to her husband. George woke up by all the stirring that was going on, just as he was placed in Michael’s arms. George was so small he almost fit into his grandfather’s hand. William expected him to start crying, but George thought otherwise. He slowly opened his eyes. Kate nudged William, who was sitting beside her with an arm wrapped around her. William didn’t know what she was trying to say to him, but then he looked at Mike instead of George. Michael was completely absorbed in staring at his grandson, who was staring back at him, with his big brown eyes. 

‘’This is the first time he opened his eyes for a longer period,’’ Kate whispered. ‘’I am so jealous of Daddy.’’ 

William smiled and took a picture of Mike and George looking at each other. 

‘’Hey, little boy. It’s you Papa here. Yes, it is. My name is Mike. But you knew that already, didn’t you. I bet your Mum and Dad spoke about me all the time when you were still in her tummy.’’ He gently tickled George’s belly. ‘’We are going to have so much fun together, Georgie.’’ George eyelids were dropping again. ‘’Hey, are you bored already?’’ Michael asked him, holding him against his chest. ‘’Or are you just tired from all the fun you already had?’’ 

The others chuckled. Michael looked up and noticed they were all looking at him. He cleared his throat. ‘’I think me and George will be very good friends.’’ 

‘’Oh, I am sure of that, Dad.

‘’Do you want him back?’’ he asked Kate.

‘’No, you snuggle with him. I know you can’t stay all day, so take all the time you want to cuddle.’’

‘’Did you speak with the press outside?’’ William asked Carole. He knew from his secretary the world press had gathered by the entrance of the Lindo Wing. 

‘’Briefly.’’ Carole said. ‘’We didn’t say anything, though.’’

‘’No, of course not,’’ William laughed. ‘’I get that, I just wanted to know how crowded it is out there, what we can expect.’’ 

‘’Well, I shouldn’t worry too much,’’ his mother-in-law replied. ‘’They are all behind barriers. But there are an awful lot of photographers, even standing on ladders and such. But aren’t you used to that?’’ 

William could hear by her tone she was joking. Carole went on. ‘’I am sure they will be respectful, William. Not like any engagements you and Kate do, where they are all shouting your names to get some attention. Most of the press is already older than you, so I am sure they must know how it feels like to have a baby. And I bet they are all very glad they could just take their wives home without all the hassle you and Katie have to go through in a couple of hours.’’

William smiled at her. Carole had a knack for making him feel better instantly, and she knew it. She patted his knee. ‘’It’s just for a few minutes. Then you can take your family home, settle down a bit, pack your things and come to us in Bucklebury. We will make sure you guys are okay, we will help as much as we can.’’ 

‘’Thank you,’’ William said gratefully. He grasped her hand and squeezed it, wanting Carole to know how much he appreciated her. He then nodded towards Mike. ‘’Do you think you two will ever leave?’’ Michael was speaking with Kate, but William couldn’t make out what they were talking about. It didn’t matter though, he knew Kate needed her alone time with her father. They were so close and he loved that. They were whispering, heads bent towards one another, as not to wake George up. Kate noticed William looking at her and she smiled. Ever since her parents had arrived in the Lindo Wing, she had felt weird, like she was weightless. She knew what is was, though. Utter and complete happiness. The people she loved most in the world were all together in one room, celebrating a massive milestone for her and William. She was now talking with her father about what it meant to her, having them all together in one room. 

‘’Get used to it,’’ he joked. ‘’It will happen more frequently from now on.’’ After that remark he had become more serious, telling her how proud he was of her, and that she would always be her little girl, even though she was now a mother herself. 

‘’So it’s a good thing William and I will be living with you for some time, then. Back home, I can behave as silly as I want.’’ Michael simply kissed Kate’s head, after which Carole said it was time to leave. They didn’t want to interrupt on the time Charles and Camilla wanted with their grandson and it would be too many people for Kate if they stayed. 

‘’We’ll see you three in a few days again, anyway. But it can be we hang around here in London, so we can come over if you guys want that.’’

‘’That would be lovely,’’ William said, standing up to say good-bye. ‘’I will be in touch.’’

*

William and Kate, but mostly William, were a little shocked by Charles’ reaction upon seeing George. William knew he was an emotional man, who cared about his family deeply, but he would never have thought to see such emotion in his father’s eyes. 

Charles hugged him tightly. ‘’I can say how proud and happy I am, but that doesn’t even begin to cover what I am feeling.’’ 

William swallowed, thrown off course. ‘’Thanks, Dad.’’

‘’Now, where is my amazing daughter in law? She is in need of a huge hug.’’ William smiled and let them enter their suite. 

‘’Katie!’’ Charles exclaimed, strolling over to her to take her into his arms. After they had greeted each other, Charles asked for his grandson. ‘’Now, where is he?’’ 

‘’Right here, Dad.’’ William pointed at the crib next to the couch where Kate was sitting on. He walked over to George and scooped him up in his arms. ‘’Are you ready to meet your other grandfather, Georgie?’’ George was sleeping on and off, but now he was awake for a bit. ‘’Sit down, Dad.’’ Charles did as he was told, where after William placed his son in his arms. ‘’There you go,’’ he smiled. Kate was in charge of the camera. Camilla beamed and sat down next to Charles. She softly stroke George over his cheek. ‘’My, he is so small,’’ she said smiling. 

‘’I swear he is already bigger than yesterday,’’ Kate said. William laughed. ‘’True,’’ he joined in. ‘’Today he looks more like a person. Yesterday he was still red, puffy and slimy. Now he is clean and properly dressed.’’

‘’William, how is the nappy changing going?’’ Charles joked. 

William remained serious. ‘’Fantastic,’’ he said beaming. ‘’I am really getting the hang of it now.’’ 

It was Charles’ intention to tease his son a little, but he noticed William was glad he could perform such small tasks as changing a nappy. ‘’You look like one proud father,’’ he said to his son.

‘’Oh, he is,’’ Kate said. ‘’He is so hands-on, he doesn’t let the nurse help at all. She only is allowed to give him verbal instructions.’’

The others laughed and William blushed. ‘’I just want to bond with my son and learn how to be a good Dad.’’ 

Kate took his hand in hers and rubbed it with her thumb. ‘’You are a wonderful Daddy. I love it how at ease you are with George.’’ She kissed his cheeks and turned to Charles and Camilla again.   
‘’George is doing so good,’’ she told them. ‘’Eating is not a problem and he sleeps most of the time. We still have to take his temperature every few hours, but so far so good.’’ 

‘’It’s not only William who is a proud parent,’’ Camilla said. ‘’I love to see how happy you two are.’’ 

The rest of the visit consisted of making small talk and planning future visits from the happy grandparents. After a while, Charles and Camilla decided to head again. William and Kate still needed to face the press and wanted to get home, to settle in.

‘’I will let them know you are coming in a short while,’’ Charles said after they had said their goodbye’s. 

‘’Thanks,’’ Kate said. ‘’We have to start getting ready.’’

Kate’s hairdresser Amanda was called in and her secretary Rebecca was put in charge of all the last minute preparations. She had brought George’s car seat and Kate’s dress. Kate was itching to leave the hospital and get the meeting with the press over with. She was still very sore and tired, so not at all happy with the fact she had to wear heels. It’s only for a few minutes, she kept telling herself. As soon as you are in the car, you can kick them off. She asked Rebecca if she could put her other shoes in the car, so she could change. Rebecca smiled sympathetically and made sure her sneakers were in there as well. 

And now she and William stood in front of the Lindo Wing entrance. Kate had George in her arms, who was, unfortunately, awake. 

‘’Are you ready?’’ William asked his wife.

Kate swallowed and took a deep breath. ‘’I will take you home as soon as possible,’’ William said.

‘’Then I am ready. Let’s go. Let’s face the world.’’


	17. Chapter 17

‘’How are you holding up back there, sweetie?’’ William asked, keeping his eyes on the road in front of him. 

‘’I’m managing,’’ Kate answered, looking at him through the rear-view mirror. ‘’George has fallen asleep.’’ 

‘’Oh, that’s great.’’

‘’How far to go?’’ Kate asked. From where she was sitting she couldn’t see the Satnav. 

‘’Not too long now,’’ William replied. ‘’Just 15 minutes, give or take. Are you in pain?’’ 

‘’Nah,’’ Kate sighed. ‘’I am just a bit uncomfortable. I ache.’’ 

William reached behind with his left arm and Kate took his hand in hers. William gave her hand a soft squeeze. ‘’You are doing great, so far, you know that, right?’’ 

Kate chuckled. She could always count on William to try make her feel better. ‘’I do,’’ she said, ‘’because you tell me all the time.’’

‘’Well, it’s true, though.’’ He pulled his hand back and exited the motorway. The signs already read ‘Bucklebury’. 

‘’Almost there,’’ Kate whispered, more to herself than to William. 

She and William were driving with George for the first time for a longer time span. They had been driving for over an hour now and things were still running smooth. George had fallen asleep after some thirty minutes and hadn’t woke up since. Kate was sitting beside him on the back seat and William sat behind the wheel. They were followed by only one security car, so they didn’t attract too much attention. Their trunk was packed with everything they might need the next couple of weeks. The new parents were staying at Mike and Carole’s, to spend their first weeks with their baby boy far away from the smelly, loud city and prying cameras. Kate’s parents were fully prepared for their three guests and had purchased some baby essentials for their own house as well. They had bought a crib, amongst other things. 

Kate shifted a bit in her seat, something that didn’t go unnoticed by William. 

‘’Should I pull over?’’ he asked her. ‘’Then you can come sit beside me and put the chair in a lying down position. 

‘’No, that’s very sweet, but I think I can hold out a couple of minutes longer. And I think George will wake up when we start slamming the car doors,’’ she joked. They always argued about the force with which William was used to slam the doors of his cars shut. 

‘’Okay,’’ William replied, grinning. ‘’Then just try to relax then.’’ 

Kate closed her eyes and focused on her breathing for some time, trying to forget the pain. She was still very sore in her private parts from giving birth and not all of her stitches had dissolved yet. The pressure she was putting on them just by sitting up for a little more over an hour was causing a stinging pain. Besides that discomfort, her whole body was just sore, tired and aching from birthing George. He was born just three days ago. She had spent one day at the hospital, one day at their home in Kensington Palace and now they were on their way to her parents. 

I didn’t give myself enough time to rest and recover, Kate thought. But that will come these few weeks. 

When Mike and Carole had told them their idea of letting Will and Kate stay with them the first weeks, they had took it immediately. The idea of being away from the big city and just being able to focus on their child had sounded amazing. They could just focus on George, with all the help Carole and Mike could give them. No worries about dinner, grocery shopping or the like. Those things would all been taken care of. Kate smiled. That idea was worth some discomfort. 

William saw his wife’s expression through the rear-view mirror. ‘’What are you thinking about?’’ 

‘’Oh, just the next few days, weeks. Just us, soaking up all the privacy my parents have to offer. Just us, enjoying George, learning all about him and his needs. Just us, being a real family.’’

William smiled back at her. ‘’That does sound wonderful. Here the exit is already.’’ He made a turn and suddenly the driveway of Kate’s old home popped into view. William slowed the car down before bringing it to a total stop. The car behind them stopped as well. One police officer got out and walked towards them. 

‘’We’ll go check in the nearest hotel now. Call when you want to step out.’’

‘’We will, thanks, guys,’’ William replied. 

The officer walked back to his own car and drove him and his colleague away. William got out of the car and opened the door for Kate. Offering her his hand, he helped her out. ‘’Go inside,’’ he told her. ‘’Look, your mum already has opened the door. Me and Mike will get everything out, including George.’’ Making sure Kate was standing steady on her own two feet, William let go of her hand. She was immediately pulled into a big bear-hug from her mother, who ushered her inside. 

William walked to the other side and got George, still in his car seat, out of the car. He was still sleeping soundly. ‘’So, little guy,’’ he whispered. ‘’Here we are at last, at your grand-parents’ house. You met them already, of course. I think you will have a great time here, don’t you?’’ 

He walked towards the front door, where both Carole and Mike were waiting for him. 

Mike winked at him. ‘’Looks great, Will, this sight of you two.’’

William beamed at them. 

‘’Make yourselves comfortable inside,’’ he continued. ‘’Me and Carole will take care of all your luggage.’’ 

‘’Oh, no,’’ William started to protest, ‘’I can do that myself.’’

But his parents-in-law wouldn’t have any of that. ‘’Nonsense, Will,’’ Carole said. ‘’You have barely slept the last few days and have driven over an hour to get here. Get your ass inside the house and don’t worry about us. We are old but we are still strong, you know.’’ She chuckled at her own joke and made William laugh as well. 

‘’Alright, but just this once,’’ he said. He watched them walk away and turned around to see where Kate was. After checking if his son was still sleeping, he placed the car seat on the dinner table and walked back into the hallway.   
‘’Kate?’’ 

‘’Upstairs!’’ she replied. 

William went back to get George and then made his way upstairs as well. Kate was rummaging in the closet, standing in the room they usually slept in when they were staying in Bucklebury. A crib was placed in one corner as was a dresser on which they could bathe and change George. 

‘’Wow,’’ he said. 

‘’I know,’’ Kate replied, still looking for something. ‘’It’s amazing, so pretty.’’ She had finally found what she was looking for and turned around, holding up a pair of pajamas. 

‘’I am going to sleep,’’ she said. ‘’I am exhausted.’’

‘’I think that is very sensible,’’ William said. ‘’I will lay George down in his crib beside you and wake both of you when it is time to feed again. Do you want me to stay with you?’’

Kate shook her head. ‘’You go and have some down time in the garden or something. If you will stay here with us, I know you won’t relax at all.’’

William smiled a bit at those true words. ‘’Alright, but I am taking the baby monitor with me. I will retrieve that from our bags first. Be right back.’’ 

Kate nodded. ‘’Oh, and could you maybe bring me a glass of water and a banana? I’m kind of hungry, but I don’t have the energy to walk those stairs back up.’’ 

William walked over and kissed the top of her head. ‘’Of course.’’ 

***

‘’William. Will, wake up.’’ 

‘’Whassup?’’ Groggy, William opened his eyes. Carole was softly shaking his shoulder. He blinked, then asked, ‘’what time is it?’’ 

‘’Almost five. But don’t worry. Kate has already fed George. I woke them up when it was time and I figured I should let you sleep some more.’’ 

William looked around and remembered. After Kate and George had gone to sleep, he had sat down on the couch with a book, but obviously he must have fallen asleep along the way. He smiled at Carole. ‘’Thanks,’’ he said gratefully.

‘’That is why you guys are here for,’’ Carole smiled back. ‘’You looked like you could use some sleep. Here is a glass of water.’’ 

‘’Oh Carole, did I mention I loved you?’’ William said, rubbing his eyes. He took the water from her and gulped it down. ‘’Thanks.’’ 

Carole sat down next to him and gave him an update. ‘’Mike has gone to the store, we’ll have dinner around 6.30.’’ 

William nodded. ‘’Perfect.’’

‘’We won’t go out every day with dinner, just because you guys are staying here. Nothing fancy. Just simple things we would have made if it was just me and Mike.’’

Again, William nodded. ‘’Me and Kate wouldn’t want it any other way.’’

Carole smiled. ‘’I know. When Mike is back, we will get started on dinner. You and Kate should just focus on yourself and George now. Don’t worry about us, we will worry about you.’’

William chuckled. ‘’No need for that. We appreciate the help so, so much, but you don’t have to worry about us. We will manage just fine.’’ 

‘’Kate is upstairs, I think she is taking a shower.’’

‘’I will take a look. We will come downstairs in a while.’’

‘’No rush,’’ Carole answered. 

William brought his empty glass back to the kitchen and then trudged up the stairs. Softly, he opened the door, not wanting to wake up George if he had fallen back to sleep. It was a weird feeling: he hadn’t seen his son for a couple of hours and he was already anxious to hold him again. Welcome to parenthood, William thought to himself. He chuckled out loud. He then opened the door and stepped inside their bedroom. He heard the sound of a shower running from the adjoining bathroom and made his way over. George wasn’t in his crib.

When William opened the door of the bathroom, the first thing he saw was George lying is his Maxi-Cosi, next to the toilet. It was a bit of a strange sight. Kate hadn’t heard or seen him entering, the view of the glass shower doors being blocked by all the condense. 

‘’Honey?’’ William asked, before opening the doors to the shower. ‘’Are you alright? Do you need some help?’’ 

Kate was faced the other way and on hearing William’s voice, she slowly turned around. ‘’Hey,’’ she said softly. 

‘’Did everything go okay with feeding George?’’ William asked. 

Kate nodded. ‘’I just laid him down next to me on the bed, it was much easier that way. We were both more comfortable. Is he sleeping now?’’ 

William chuckled. ‘’Yes, he is. I think the warmth of the shower lulled him back to sleep again. It looks a bit weird, seeing your baby sleeping next to the toilet. Why didn’t you let your Mum take him downstairs with her?’’ 

Kate shrugged. ‘’I read that taking your baby into the bathroom with you could do no harm and I wanted to try whether he would get fussy about it or not. It was a perfect situation to try, because Mum always could take him downstairs if he didn’t like this. If I had waited trying this out and would do it for the first time when I would actually be on my own and George would not like it, it would be a bit of a problem. So I wanted to try it now.’’ 

William nodded. ‘’That makes sense.’’ He saw goosebumps appear on Kate’s skin. ‘’Hey, you’re cold. I’ll leave you. Shall I take George downstairs?’’ 

‘’No, don’t leave me,’’ Kate said. ‘’I like the company.’’ 

‘’But you’re cold.’’ He traced a pattern on her arm with his fingertip and Kate shivered. 

‘’I know, but –‘’ 

‘’Hmm?’’ William kept touching her arm, stroking it softly. 

Kate tilted her head a bit. ‘’Could you join me?’’ 

William’s eyes went wide. ‘’You sure?’’

“Oh yes. I haven’t been this close to you since a week or so. Come on.’’

William stripped down and then stepped into the shower. ‘’Blimey, that’s hot.’’

When Kate stepped aside to make room for him, she winced. 

‘’What is the matter?’’ 

‘’Some certain movements still cause pain, especially after sitting that long in the car.’’

‘’Oh, baby, I am so sorry. Come here.’’ William opened his arms and Kate stepped into his embrace. They let the warm water wash over their bodies and just held on tight to each other. Kate buried her face in the crook of William’s shoulder and tried to relax her muscles. After a while, she started tracing patterns with her hands on his back. 

William held on just as tightly as Kate did with him and closed his eyes. It had been a long while since they had been so close to each other. It felt good. When he felt Kate’s hands move on his back he sighed audibly. He slowly put some more space between their bodies and looked at his wife. 

‘’What?’’ Kate said, noticing his stare. 

‘’This,’’ he answered. He dipped down and brushed his lips against hers. Kate caught on quickly and kissed him back. Playfully, she pulled on his lower lip a bit, wanting him to open his mouth. William complied and she deepened their kiss. Their hands roamed the other’s body everywhere and they kept on kissing. Soon, William pressed his body back up to Kate’s and she felt his arousal softly nudging her stomach. It didn’t take long for her to get aroused as well and as soon as she felt that, she also felt a twinge of pain. She pulled back and clutched her lower stomach. 

‘’It hurts, becoming aroused,’’ she said. ‘’I am sorry.’’ 

‘’What? No, don’t be silly! I am so sorry, honey. It wasn’t my intention to get you all wound up.’’

‘’I know,’’ Kate said. ‘’But when you kiss me like that, it happens.’’ 

‘’Come here,’’ William said. He reached for the wash cloth and slowly started to clean Kate’s body. He then washed her hair and massaged her scalp softly.

‘’Oh, that is good,’’ Kate said. She wanted to return the favor, but William didn’t let her. ‘’You go get dry, I will be along in just a minute.’’ 

When William had dried himself off and stepped into the bedroom again, Kate was waiting for him with George on her lap. ‘’He’s awake,’’ she said. ‘’You take him.’’ 

William cuddled George to his chest and let Kate take some pictures of them. ‘’You look very cute, just out of the shower,’’ she told him with a wink. ‘’Shall we get downstairs and join Mum and Dad in the kitchen?’’ 

‘’Sounds like a plan,’’ William answered. He quickly kissed Kate one last time and gestured she should go first. 

When William and Kate had stood in the shower together, Mike had returned from town. That evening dinner was grilled chicken with a variety of steamed vegetables. 

‘’Sounds great, Dad,’’ Kate said. The four of them were sitting around the kitchen counter. Mike and Carole drank wine, William and Kate stuck to water. Kate couldn’t drink alcohol as long as she was breastfeeding George and William did the same, not wanting Kate to feel left out. Mike was cradling George on his lap, who stared up at his grandfather. 

‘’I can get used to having you three around here,’’ he said. ‘’Or just George.’’ 

‘’So we have immediately become irrelevant?’’ William laughed. ‘’That’s great to hear.’’ He took another sip of his glass and then put his arm around Kate’s shoulders. ‘’How are you feeling right now?’’

‘’Fine. Honestly. You can stop looking at me like that. I’m not ill.’’ 

‘’I know,’’ William said, ‘’but you should take it very easy. You always hear those horror stories about women who wanted too much too soon after they gave birth.’’

‘’I am not one of those women,’’ Kate said stubbornly. ‘’I slept for the most part this afternoon and then took a shower. That is all I did today.’’ 

‘’Okay,’’ William admitted defeat. ‘’That does sound like you take it easy. I just want to make sure you are still coping.’’ 

Kate smiled sweetly at him. ‘’I am. And I promise you I will tell you the minute I am not.’’ 

William nodded. 

‘’Do you guys have any plans for tomorrow?’’ Carole asked them. ‘’Me and Mike are taking the dogs out for a long hike tomorrow, driving the first bit.’’

Kate looked at William, then at her Mum and Dad. ‘’Where are you guys parking the car?’’ 

‘’At our usual picnic place.’’ 

‘’Maybe we can hike over there and drive back with you guys,’’ Kate said hesitantly. 

‘’Honey –‘’ William began.

‘’No, Will, hear me out,’’ Kate interrupted him. It’s a fifteen minute walk, tops. I can manage that, and I am allowed to walk that kind of distance. Marcus said walking some time every day will improve recovery. And it’s through the meadow, not through town, so we won’t be bothered by anybody. You can carry George in the baby carrier. And we can drive back with Mum and Dad.’’ She looked at William expectantly. 

Mike and Carole didn’t join their discussion and kept their faces neutral.   
‘’Hmm,’’ William said. ‘’I do like the sound of that and it would be great to see something of the outside world again. We have been inside for so long when you were in your final weeks of pregnancy. We were in London already if you went to labour early, but the opposite happened. I sure can use some fresh air again.’’

‘’There you go,’’ Kate said happily.

William held up one hand. ‘’But,’’ he started, ‘’but what do we do when it proves too much for you? Then we are standing in the middle of this meadow and you can’t go any further?’’ 

‘’I honestly think I can walk for 15 minutes,’’ Kate said. ‘’And I don’t say that because I want to be able to do that.’’

William looked at her.

‘’Honestly, William, it’s true. I know it is not the smart thing to do, to push my body right now. I am still very tired and sore. Let’s just try this, okay? I want to smell and see and hear the world again, just like you.’’ 

William looked at her a bit longer and then finally gave in. 

‘’Great! That’s settled then,’’ Mike said. ‘’When do you guys want to be picked up? Carole and I have to be back from our hike by then, so we do need to plan this a bit.’’ 

‘’What about we went out after George’s one o’clock feeding?’’ William suggested. ‘’We will be heading out around one thirty and be back by, what is it, two o’clock?’’ 

‘’At the latest,’’ Carole nodded. ‘’It’s a fifteen minute walk and the drive back is even shorter.’’ 

‘’Exactly,’’ William replied. ‘’If Kate is exhausted by then, she has plenty of time to recover that afternoon. She and George can nap at the same time again.’’ 

‘’It’s a plan,’’ Mike concluded. ‘’And now I have to work on that formidable chicken I just bought.’’ 

‘’I’ll help,’’ William offered.

‘’Oh, no, please,’’ Mike laughed. ‘’You can set the table.’’ 

‘’Still joking about my cooking abilities?’’ William chuckled. ‘’But alright, if you don’t want me here, I’ll set the table.’’ 

Mike handed George to Kate and started making dinner. Kate hugged George close to her chest and looked at the blissful family gathering in her parent’s kitchen. ‘’I am just so happy,’’ she whispered in George’s ear. William caught what she was saying and, squeezing her shoulder with one hand, leaned in to give her a kiss on her cheek and then one on George’s little head. 

The next morning Mike and Carole were gone out on their hike with the dogs quite early, to make it back on the time the four of them had agreed on last night, leaving the entire house to William and Kate. 

‘’We can manage quite alright, by the three of us, don’t we?’’ William remarked that morning, just after they had breakfast. He and Kate were sitting at the living room table, William cradling George and Kate doing the crossword puzzle in the day’s newspaper. 

‘’We do,’’ Kate admitted, looking up and smiling at the sight in front of her. ‘’I have the urge to take pictures all the time.’’

William chuckled. ‘’I don’t care. It will be fun to have these early days mapped out in photographs.’’

Kate had already turned her attention back to the puzzle. ‘’Her Majesty’s secret agent. Four letters.’’

‘’Bond,’’ William replied. ‘’Do you still have pregnancy brain?’’

Kate was quiet for a moment and then giggled. ‘’Maybe I do, yes.’’

They spend the rest of the morning in comfortable silence, both of them grateful the rollercoaster that was last week had finally slowed down. William stood up from the table and lay down next to the fireplace. He placed George on his chest and both dozed off for a bit. Kate finished her puzzle and then took a long shower. When she came back down again, she found the living room empty. 

Walking to the kitchen, she heard William talking to George. Peeking through the door, she saw her husband had placed him back in his Maxi-Cosi again and put him on the table. William himself was preparing some sandwiches on the kitchen counter. As he was busy making lunch for them, he was talking to George about their plans for that afternoon. Kate quickly retrieved back to the living room to grab her phone and, unbeknownst to William, snapped some pictures and a short video of the two of them together. She then entered the kitchen. 

‘’All clean and fresh?’’ William asked her with a smile. He left the bread on the counter and pulled Kate into a hug. ‘’Hmm, your hair smells really nice.’’

‘’It’s the lavender.’’

‘’It’s you.’’ William kissed her, something Kate took full advantage of. When they let go of each other, she said, ‘’The doctor says the minimum wait for sex after giving birth is six weeks.’’ 

William laughed. ‘’I know, we have discussed that. And we are going to stuck it out.’’ 

Kate pouted.

‘’Really, you are going to thank me later for this.’’ 

‘’I know, I know,’’ Kate said, ‘’but you just bring it out of me.’’ Changing the topic, she asked, ‘’are these sandwiches any good?’’ 

‘’If you don’t like them, you can make your own sandwiches.’’ 

‘’I am making my own milk already, isn’t that enough?’’ 

William laughed at loud at Kate’s remark. ‘’That was very witty,’’ he said, grinning. 

‘’I am going to feed George now.’’ She scooped George up in her arms, placed him on her lap and pulled up her shirt. ‘’Are we ready for take-off after he has eaten?’’ 

William nodded. ‘’I think so. I am almost finished making these.’’ He pointed at their sandwiches. ‘’The baby carrier is standing in the hallway, as are our shoes. It’s summer, so we don’t need a jacket. I think we are all set.’’

‘’What about diapers and such,’’ Kate said, hesitating. ‘’Do we need to make a big deal of being out for, like, thirty minutes?’’ 

‘’I can carry a small bag with a pacifier and one or two clean diapers and some baby wipes,’’ William shrugged. ‘’It does put me more at ease, though, knowing we have a little emergency kit. I will get them in a minute.’’ He placed one sandwich in front of Kate, who started eating with one hand, holding George in place with the other. 

‘’Thanks,’’ she managed to say with her mouth full of bread.

‘’Charming,’’ William remarked drily. 

About a half hour later, William and Kate were on their hiking trail. George was strapped to William’s chest in their baby carrier and on his back was the small bag with their baby essentials. Kate happily walked besides them and could not take her eyes off the sight of her husband and baby. 

‘’Stop staring,’’ William grinned. ‘’Look to what’s ahead of you. You can’t fall over.’’

‘’Oh, don’t worry, I won’t,’’ Kate beamed. ‘’You are such a sexy daddy.’’ 

William looked kind of sheepish, but was flattered nonetheless. ‘’You are just still high on all your hormones.’’

‘’Am not,’’ Kate spat back. ‘’I am telling the truth. And I am just one lucky lady to be married to you.’’ 

‘’You can say the same of me,’’ William replied. ‘’Right now, I honestly feel like the luckiest man alive, with his healthy son and healthy, beautiful, smart wife walking right beside him.’’ 

‘’You make me blush,’’ Kate giggled. 

‘’That means I am telling the truth.’’

‘’Oh, stop it! Oh, actually, could you stand still? I want to take another picture.’’

William happily obliged and gave his best smile to the camera and then made some silly faces. Kate kept clicking away, wanting to capture it all. 

‘’Let’s make a selfie,’’ he said after a while. 

‘’I thought you hated those,’’ Kate said, a bit nonplussed. 

‘’I do,’’ he admitted, ‘’but I want a picture of the three of us of this moment and a selfie is the only way. Now come on.’’ 

It was harder than it looked to take a decent photograph of them together, but the result was they had some very funny pictures of their small family. 

‘’That reminds me,’’ William said, ‘’Jamie called earlier today. We still have to make some official photographs to release to the press, in the next few weeks.’’

‘’Maybe Dad will take those,’’ Kate said. ‘’I don’t feel like inviting an professional photographer here. This is supposed to be a completely private time.’’

William nodded. ‘’That is absolutely fine with me.’’ 

They hiked on, holding hands and occasionally kissing or enjoying the view. It was a sunny day and both were starting to sweat a little. George was sleeping. 

William’s concerns about Kate were gone. She was in a good mood and her body wasn’t troubling her. William still was glad they didn’t overdo it that day, that it was just a short hike. But both of them were glad they could go out, finally, after having spent so many days cocked up in their apartment in Kensington Palace. They couldn’t step out so easily in London as they could back in Anglesey. 

When they got back from their hike, both of them took a shower, separately this time and then Kate and George both went to sleep. Mike and Carole had decided to an impromptu barbecue, after learning both James and Pippa would stop by tonight to gaze at their new nephew. William was thrilled when he heard this news. They had stopped by very shortly when they were in Kensington, but tonight they would have more time together. When he went upstairs to wake Kate and told her the news, she too was over the moon. She couldn’t wait to share George with her siblings. 

Both arrived around 7 o’clock, just when Mike and William put the first burgers on the barbecue. Kate sat at the patio table, throwing together a fresh salad. Carole sat next to her, cradling George. 

‘’Why, is this just the perfect family picture here.’’ James announced himself, stepping outside, a cold beer already in his hand. 

Kate beamed at her brother and her smile went wider when Pippa followed immediately behind James. She stood up and the three of them enveloped each other in a big group hug. 

‘’How are you, Katie?’’ James asked her, mussing her hair. 

‘’Fine,’’ Kate replied. ‘’Happy. Very happy.’’ 

‘’I can see that,’’ Pippa said. ‘’Both you and William are glowing from your pores.’’ 

Kate laughed. 

‘’Thanks, Pip,’’ William said. ‘’You guys want burgers as well? Or should I throw on some steaks?’’

‘’Burgers is fine with me,’’ James answered, but Pippa never heard William’s question. She had already made her way over to her Mum and was now cradling George in her arms. 

‘’He has grown!’’ she exclaimed, sounding surprised. ‘’In just three days! Did you guys notice?’’

‘’Not really,’’ Kate giggled. ‘’But ask me again a week from now.’’ 

It was a warm evening, so George could stay outside and be placed next to his parents. Both of them ate mostly one-handed, preferring to hold their son as close to them as possible. Kate had read about the major benefits of having your baby close to your own skin in the first few months of his life. 

Both William and Kate enjoyed this evening thoroughly, feeling a sort of completeness in their lives at that moment. Kate acknowledged this whole heartedly when William brought it up when they were preparing for bed later that evening. 

‘’I did too,’’ she said. ‘’I could not be happier. We have a healthy, wonderful little baby. A healthy family. What more could we ask for?’’

‘’Nothing,’’ William said, getting under the covers and letting Kate snuggle up to him. ‘’I think I have never been so content or have felt so peaceful.’’

He barely spoke those words or George started crying. Kate laughed. ‘’I think he needs a nappy change.’’ She was getting up already.

‘’No, let me handle it. You have to be up tonight to feed him. The least I can do is take care of his diaper now.’’ 

When William was done, he placed George next to Kate in their big bed and climbed back in himself. They both just gazed at George or at each other and finally Kate couldn’t fight sleep anymore. 

William watched both his wife and son for some time after that, marveling at the recent change in his life. He had not expected to feel this way like he had tonight. He was a bit shocked at how much parenthood had changed him in just three days. He already loved it.

And this is just the beginning, he thought.


	18. Chapter 18

During the weeks William, Kate and little George stayed in Bucklebury, they had soon settled in a comfortable routine that was scheduled around George’s feedings and nap times. After two weeks, Mike took a few pictures of the three of them, plus his own dog, to release to the press. Kate, never a big fan of such occasions, was particularly happy the Palace had given their consent for her father to take the photographs. William wanted her to be as comfortable as possible, so he had pulled a few strings with his grand-mother. It was now almost four weeks ago the pictures were taken and six weeks ago that George had come into their lives. William contemplated this as he sat on the patio with a beer in his hand. ‘’We did good’’, he thought. Of course, Kate’s parents had helped them tremendously and he was very grateful for the peace and quiet their house in Bucklebury offered. Mike and Carole went about their usual business, leaving William and Kate to their own. They struggled for a bit the first few nights with George sleeping in their room, not anticipating the noises he would make in his sleep. But they did settle into a routine eventually. In the mornings, when Kate energy levels were higher, they usually went outside for a little hike or just soaking up the sun on a blanket in the garden. William then cooked lunch, after which George and Kate went to bed for most of the afternoon. That was when William had some time to himself, catching up on some e-mails, or just watching a show on television. Today, he had decided to take advantage of the sunny afternoon and sat outside. The house was quiet, with Kate and George both napping. Mike and Carole had gone out for a luncheon with friends. The baby monitor stood next to him on the patio table and William was just staring into space. Just when he thought about calling his brother and checking in with him, a soft murmur came through. William immediately turned his head towards the monitor and used his beer-free hand to crank up the volume. As George kept on whimpering, William quickly stood up and made his way inside. His infant son was sleeping in the same room as his wife and William didn’t want Kate to wake up just yet. She still needed all the rest she could get. William tiptoed up the stairs and quietly opened the door to their bedroom. He scooped George up from his crib and then quickly grabbed a diaper and some wipes. As he was about to close the door behind him, Kate turned over in her sleep. William cocked his head to see if she was waking, but then heard her snore lightly. Smiling slightly, he turned, stepped into the landing and closed the door. 

‘’Let’s go downstairs, baby boy,’’ he softly whispered to George. ‘’I can change you in the living room, so we don’t wake Mummy with your crying.’’ George didn’t like having his nappy changed and often started crying and wriggling as soon as he was stripped from his clothes. William expertly placed his baby son in the crib in the living room, went into the hall to get a towel from the linen closet and spread the towel out on the rug in front of the fireplace. He placed the necessities next to it and then retrieved George again. He placed him on his back and zipped down his onesie. Turning him over and proceeding to wriggle his legs out so he could unsnap the filthy nappy, George started crying right away, as if on cue. 

‘’I know, I know,’’ William whispered to him, trying to soothe him with his voice. His fingers worked quickly, having had more than enough of experience the last few weeks. He held George in place with one large hand on a very small tummy and used his other hand to get a baby wipe from the packet lying next to him. He quickly cleaned George up, all the while talking him slowly through the process. 

‘’There you go, little man, all clean again. Let’s see how long you can hold it this time, shall we?’’ He grabbed the clean diaper and put it on his son. ‘’Or we could just late take Mummy do the next one? We men gotta stick together, right?’’ William chuckled softly, George just stared at him. ‘’Nah, you’re right, I suppose. We shouldn’t be so mean to your mother. She’s a wonderful Mummy.’’ He tickled George’s tummy, eliciting a squirm out of him. ‘’Yes, yes, she is. Wonderful.’’ He zipped George up again and them held him close to his chest. George settled his head in the crook of William’s neck. William stroked his back softly, swaying a bit from left to right in soothing motions. ‘’You have the best mother a guy could ask for.’’ 

‘’You are not doing too bad, yourself,’’ came a voice from the door. 

William quickly turned his head and stood up. He grinned sheepishly at his wife. ‘’We were just having a moment.’’ 

Kate shook her head with a small smile on her lips. ‘’Stop apologizing, please, for your doting daddy behaviour. It looks wonderful, and if I may, so masculine.’’ 

William grin broke into a smirk and within two strides he walked towards Kate. He gave her a soft kiss and then handed George over to her. 

 

“Hi, darling boy. Where you hanging out with Daddy? Man on man time? Was he singing to you again today? Hmm, you smell all fresh.’’ She held George up above her head and buried her face into his tummy before cradling him close again. 

‘’Nope, no singing today,’’ William shook his head. 

‘’The day is not over yet,’’ Kate said, looking at her husband hopefully. 

‘’I didn’t expect you yet,’’ he replied. 

Kate just shrugged. ‘’I woke up when you closed the door.’’ 

‘’Sorry.’’

‘’Wasn’t your fault. It was our little man here, wanting to get some attention.’’ Kate shifted George in her arms and then looked at William. 

‘’What is it?’’ he asked, immediately concerned. 

‘’I just wanted to talk to you about something. We agreed not to worry alone anymore.’’

‘’Kate, honey, you are scaring me a bit here.’’ 

‘’Let’s make some tea and then sit down, okay?’’ 

‘’Okaay,’’ William replied, drawing out the last syllable. He racked his brain immediately, tracing back the days, wondering if he had missed some signs from Kate. He walked to the kitchen to make some tea and left Kate fussing with George in the living room. He wondered what on earth was bothering his wife and was a bit mad at himself for not seeing something like this coming. When he walked back to her with two steaming mugs in his hand, he sat down next to her on the couch, took her hand after placing down the drinks and asked in a soft voice: ‘’Did I do something wrong?’’ 

Kate immediately regretted her way of asking them to talk when she saw the hurt and frightened look in William’s eyes. She leaned into him, snuggling up to his chest and replied. ‘’Oh no, honey, I am sorry. It’s nothing you did. You have been simply wonderful, to me and to little Georgie here.’’

‘’Then what is it?’’ William urged, wanting to get to the bottom of this.

‘’Remember when we were trying to conceive or when I was pregnant and I – or you – were a bit stressed, had certain worries about how things would work out?’’ Kate said in one long rush.

‘’Yeah –‘’ William nodded. ‘’Those weren’t always easy days,’’ he conceded. 

‘’That’s why we agreed to always immediately voice our concerns,’’ Kate reminded him.

‘’I remember,’’ William said with a smile. He looked up to Kate, searching for clues in her eyes. ‘’Please, just tell me what it is, okay?’’ 

Kate couldn’t hold his gaze and looked to the slightly worn rug on the floor. She was silent for a moment and then, in a barely audible whisper, said: ‘’I am scared of moving back to Anglesey.’’ 

William did a double take, not quite sure whether he heard her correctly. He looked at her, but she was still staring to the floor. He lifter her chin so he could make their eyes meet. When he looked upon her frightened face, his heart broke a bit. 

‘’Oh, Katie, darling, come here.’’ He pulled her even closer and wrapped his arms firmly around her. Sensing by the soft shaking his wife had actually started to cry, he shushed her softly, stroking her back as lovingly as he had done with George moments earlier. When Kate was cried out and pulled back softly, he let go of her. Wiping the tears from her cheeks, he asked, ‘’What has brought this on, sweetie?’’ 

Kate shook her head, trying to pull herself together. ‘’I don’t know, maybe it’s still the stupid hormones.’’

‘’No,’’ William said firmly.

‘’How can you be so sure?’’ 

‘’I don’t want to imply that you don’t have hormonal issues, because you do and that’s normal, but not everything can be blamed on that. Not to say you are taking advantage of the situation, but because I know you, Kate. And my gut tells me this is something rooted deeply into your being instead of an hormonal fling.’’ 

Kate stared at him. ‘’Maybe you’re right.’’

‘’Tell me, then.’’

‘’We have been so safe, here, the last few weeks. We have been living in this bubble, where everything is idyllic, perfect. We, I, have lost track of the real world, or so it feels. It’s just been us three, with the company and help of Mum and Dad. And coming Saturday, we leave for Anglesey and –‘’ her voice trailed off. 

‘’Are you saying you don’t feel safe there?’’ William asked. 

‘’No, that’s not it. We have freedom there, I love the sea and the people are so nice. But – we would we be all alone there. With you starting work again and –‘’

‘’Do you mean you don’t trust yourself taking care of George?’’ William interrupted here, eyes wide. 

‘’No! I don’t know, maybe.’’ Kate shrugged. ‘’It’s just, it’s hard to say how I feel exactly. It’s all becoming so real now.’’

‘’Real?’’ 

‘’Yeah, like I said, staying here in Bucklebury has been such a safe haven, a bubble of perfection. In a few days, you are back to work, Mum and Dad are hundreds of miles away, and then it’s just me and George alone in that cottage in the middle of nowhere.’’ Kate took a deep breath and went on. ‘’And it’s not that I don’t love it there, because I do and you know that. And I want you to get back to work, not to get rid of you, but I crave our ‘normal’ life we had in Wales together. But what if something happens? Then I am all alone.’’ 

William felt like he had been slapped in the face and didn’t quite know what to feel or how to react. Kate’s words really hit home and stirred up concerns and feelings he didn’t know he shared with his wife. He looked at George, who was lying contently in his crib, already falling back to sleep. After some time, he felt Kate’s eyes on him, looking at him anxiously. 

‘’Say something,’’ she said, ‘’please.’’ 

‘’I –‘’ William started. 

Kate cocked her head, not leaving his eyes with his. 

‘’I feel the same way, I guess.’’

Kate’s mouth fell open. 

‘’But,’’ William started, sitting up straighter now, ‘’I strongly feel we should not let this fear rule us. I mean, when you were pregnant, you were on yourself as well and numerous things could have happened to you. The point is, they didn’t. You were perfectly safe. Even during you HG you managed to take care of yourself up until a certain point, which certainly wasn’t your own fault. And,’’ he continued, ‘’I think it’s normal we feel this way. We are responsible for such a precious, loved, immensely tiny creature now. Of course you’re going to worry, it’s part of the deal.’’ He gave Kate a hesitant smile and was relieved when she let him pull her close to him once again. 

‘’What are you thinking now?’’ he asked her, stroking her hair. 

‘’Honestly?’’

‘’Honestly?’’

‘’That I am really glad we can talk about these things now. Because I know for sure, that when I hadn’t mentioned it, I would have started to act differently and we would have stopped communicating. It was doomed to blow out of proportions and then we would’ve fought over nothing, because apparently we feel the same way.’’ 

William chuckled.

‘’I am being serious here.’’ 

‘’Of course, I’m sorry. I think we have grown up a lot more than we expected during your pregnancy.’’ 

‘’Yes, I guess you can say that. What with the hospital fiasco and redecorating Kensington and all. We had a lot of big talks lately.’’

‘’That isn’t a bad thing, right?’’ William asked. 

‘’I didn’t mean it that way,’’ Kate reassured him. ‘’I’m just saying.’’

‘’Oh, okay, then.’’ William slumped on the couch, pulling Kate along with him. ‘’I am feeling tired all of sudden. It’s strange, you know. I was sitting on the patio with a beer when I heard George stirring, contemplating how perfect life was. And look at us now.’’

‘’Cheer up,’’ Kate said. ‘’Look at our boy. We made him. Life is still pretty perfect. But we can’t escape real life and the responsibilities that come with it forever.’’ 

‘’And as long as we keep talking,’’ William added.

‘’Amen to that.’’

****  
Nine days later, Kate was standing in the kitchen, reading through the cake recipe she just retrieved from the cabinet. The baby monitor was placed on the kitchen counter; George was sleeping in the nursery. With William at work and all the house work done, Kate had jumped at the opportunity to rummage around in her kitchen again. The fears she had admitted to her husband had proven to be less daunting than they had initially thought. Carole, knowing her own daughter almost better than she knew herself, had offered to stay for a few days with them in Wales, to get them all settled in. No words were spoken about it, but Kate had a very strong suspicion her Mum knew her and William’s worries. She had left two days ago now and although Kate initially felt a bit nervous of being on her own, she got used to it sooner than she thought. Plus, keeping up with George, taking care of Lupo and running a house-hold simply kept her busy enough, so she had barely time to contemplate how she felt. William was worried she took on too much too soon, but Kate knew better. It might seem a lot, but Kate simply loved having some time for herself. From a few weeks leading up to the birth until just two days ago, she was constantly surrounded by people fussing over her and frankly, she was a bit fed up. Kate thought that a contributing factor to her disappearing nerves: she wanted to do it by herself now, she was getting itchy from having to discuss every little thing with at least two persons all the time. Today was also the first day William had an 24-hour shift at the Search and Rescue base. It would be the first night he was away from home since George was born. That Kate dreaded, but she knew she just had to get used to it. William had his job and he had responsibilities there. And she was perfectly capable to make it through the night with George. The sudden start of commercials on the radio that was perched on top of the fridge startled her from her reveries. 

‘’Right,’’ she mumbled to herself. ‘’Let’s get to work.’’ She had three goals for today; baking a cake, taking George to the grocery store to get the ingredients for dinner and walking Lupo in the evening. A member of staff would take him out this afternoon, because she didn’t feel up to that just yet. She glanced at the clock on the oven and hoped George would sleep for at least another hour or so, giving her time to bake the cake. She looked over the recipe in her hands once more and got to work. She stopped a few times whilst mixing the batter, straining her ears to hear whether George was still sleeping of not. Sometimes he gurgled a bit in his sleep and Kate wanted to make sure she wasn’t missing the telltale signs of her baby son waking up.   
Quickly finishing and washing up her utensils, Kate put the kettle on and wanted for the water to boil. She hoped to get a fast cuppa in before George woke, which could be any moment now. Just when she retrieved her favorite mug from the dishwasher, her phone started to ring. Recognizing the personalized tune, she didn’t bother looking at the incoming caller before answering it. 

‘’Hi babe,’’ she said with a smile dancing on her lips. 

‘’Hey, beautiful,’’ William answered, pleased with the happy voice of his wife. ‘’I’m just calling to check in, it’s been a bit slow this morning.’’ 

‘’Ah, that’s boring,’’ Kate said. ‘’But good news, though, no casualties.’’ 

‘’Yeah. What have you been up to today so far?’’

A beat. Kate grinned, but said nothing yet. When she opened her mouth to speak, William was faster. ‘’You have been baking, haven’t you?’’ He chuckled. ‘’Oh man, I bet you couldn’t wait for me to get my ass out of the house, so you could have the kitchen all for yourself.’’

‘’Have not,’’ Kate shot back indignantly. 

‘’Don’t lie,’’ William laughed. ‘’I bet it’ll taste wonderful.’’

‘’It’s a new recipe,’’ Kate answered. ‘’Don’t get your hopes up.’’ 

‘’Don’t worry, you’re an excellent baker. Or cook, for that matter.’’ He paused for a bit, then said with a softer voice, ‘’I’m sorry I won’t be home for dinner.’’ 

Kate smiled at the tone of his voice, knowing he wanted nothing else than spend the night at home with his new family. ‘’Ah, babe, me too. But you have a job, though. And you love your job.’’ 

‘’Yeah – ‘’ William’s voice trailed off. 

A light switched on in Kate’s head. ‘’Is that why you hate it’s a slow day today? Are you constantly thinking about us two here?’’ 

‘’Hmhm,’’ William mumbled. ‘’Does that make me weak?’’ 

‘’Don’t be daft. If anything, it makes you a loving husband and a doting father. The first few times will be a little harder, but it’s something we both have to get used to. There will come a day when I have to work and leave you and George behind. And I know already I won’t like it, won’t like it one bit. That day has just come a bit sooner for you than for me, but that doesn’t make you weak, missing us.’’ 

‘’Thanks.’’ 

‘’Don’t be silly.’’ Kate used her free hand to pour water into her mug and then went searching for the right teabag. 

‘’What are your plans for the rest of the day?’’ William asked her. 

‘’Not too much,’’ she answered. ‘’Kettle just boiled, I am expecting that Georgie will wake up any moment and then I’ll feed him. Have to wait for the cake to come out of the oven and then I can go to Whole Foods for tonight’s dinner. Oh, and I want to walk Lupo in the evening.’’

‘’Isn’t that too much?’’

Kate sighed. ‘’No, William, it’s not. It’s two short trips out of the house and sitting on the couch reading or watching television in between. Trust me.’’

‘’I do.’’

‘’Good.’’ 

‘’Sorry.’’ 

‘’It’s okay, honestly. It’s been two months now, honey. You can’t expect me to do nothing for eighteen years.’’ 

William chuckled. ‘’That’s true, you’re absolutely right. I just don’t want you –‘’

‘’I know. Now go, save lives today. I’ll see you tomorrow again.’’

‘’Yeah,’’ William said, sounding sad. ‘’Is it okay to call again around dinner time, if I’m able to?’’

‘’Of course,’’ Kate said, feeling bad for him. He wanted to be with them so much. ‘’Call anytime you want. And don’t panic when I don’t pick up!’’ 

‘’I won’t. Bye darling, kiss George for me.’’

‘’I will, babe. Bye.’’ 

Kate hung up and took a deep breath. She mustn’t be so hard on him, he was only making sure she was taking care of himself. Her hospital stay had freaked him out so much, he was still dealing with the repercussions of it all. Without thinking, she brought her steaming mug to her lips and took a sip. ‘’Bugger, that’s hot!’’ She spat it back into her mug before she burned her mouth and then laughed out loud for doing it. ‘’Not very ladylike, but who cares?’’ 

A couple of hours later, Kate sat on the sofa, nursing George and relishing the feel of her still new baby against her skin. The door to the kitchen was ajar and delicious smells came wafting into the living room. Kate inhaled deeply and had to gather all her will power not to cut a slice from her cake and eat it already. William knew she had tried out a new recipe and she wanted to share it with him. She also made a quick mental note to get the ingredients for his favourite pie, a sticky toffee one, when she would head to Whole Foods in a bit. Noticing George was done drinking, she gently held him to her shoulder and tried to burp him. After double checking if she had lain a cloth over her shoulder, she softly swayed from side to side until she heard the telltale sign and could practically feel his tummy rumbling against her chest. 

‘’Well done, baby,’’ she cooed to George. ‘’Let’s get you in some strappy big boy clothes and then head to the store. You ready for that? It’s your first big outing into the real world.’’ George answered by spitting up. ‘’A real gentleman already,’’ Kate chuckled. 

After glancing at her grocery list and tucking it into her purse, Kate decided to take the car to the shop instead of walking. Carrying George plus all the groceries would be impossible. When she was busy strapping George into his car seat and making sure he would be safe, she thought grocery stores had special carts for small infants. If she remembered correctly, you could simply click the car seat on the shopping cart. She hoped it would be truly that easy. During the short drive to the store, Kate relished the feeling of freedom. The last few weeks in Bucklebury were heavenly, but she and William were kind of imprisoned. They couldn’t simply stroll into town for some ice cream or tea, let alone taking little George with them. They had spent almost all their time on the property of Kate’s parents or in the woods just behind the mansion. But here, back in Anglesey, they could come and go just as they pleased. The townsfolk respected them and left them alone. Everybody just minded their own business. Kate automatically thought back to the conversation she had shared with William, just days before they would be heading back north, when she confessed her fears of not being able to care for George all by herself. And look at me now, she thought to herself. My husband gone for a whole day and night and here I am, going strong. Everything is going just fine. Kate took a deep breath and turned the corner. She parked near the entrance and was elated when she indeed saw the special shopping carts. The world is really baby-friendly, it just never caught my eye how much. She chuckled out loud, diminishing all her former fears and doubts. She got George out of the car and got to work. She had a long list to finish, wanting to stock up for autumn. 

*** 

‘’I can’t believe how well you did,’’ William said, his voice filled with awe. 

Kate glared at him. ‘’That’s not a very nice thing to say to me. You are implying that you thought I couldn’t cope.’’ 

‘’Ah, Katie, you know that’s not true.’’ William shot back, his head slightly tilted. ‘’It’s just – you telling me what you have done yesterday and last night, I am impressed.’’ 

Kate bowed her head a little bad, ashamed for her too quick assumption. ‘’Thank you.’’ She sobered up quickly. ‘’But, you know, it’s normal to do all that. It all has to be done, honestly, because otherwise things would start to fall apart. So I am far from a saint or something like that.’’ 

‘’I know, I know’’ William conceded quickly. ‘’But I am allowed to express my pride for my wife doing a wonderful job as a mother, am I not? ‘’

Kate kept quiet. 

‘’I thought so.’’ He gently kissed her. ‘’Now, then, let’s dug in to this delicious looking cake you made.’’ He took a bite of with his fork, lifted it to her as a kind of cheers and then put it in his mouth. ‘’Hmm, that’s good!’’ 

Kate smiled at him and was content with watching William eat his cake. He had come home this morning after spending all the previous day and the night at his flight basis. It was now early in the evening, but William had slept most of the morning and afternoon, exhausted from a 24-hour shift at work. Now he was up, they had bathed George together, put him to bed and then finally had some time to sit down and enjoy their time together. 

‘’George is doing really well,’’ she eventually said, phrasing out loud what she was thinking at that right moment.

‘’Hmhm,’’ William replied, his mouth full with cake. ‘’I can’t believe how much he has grown already.’’ 

‘’Have you been taking pictures every morning?’’ 

William nodded. ‘’Only missed last morning, because I was gone. But I assume you filled in for me?’’ 

Kate snorted. ‘’I believe I may have taken pictures all day long. My phone is sluggish because of all the data stored on it. By the way, I pumped yesterday. Do you mind feeding him this night?’’ 

‘’I’ll be happy to. I missed last night, after all. We have some catching up to do, you know, man to man.’’

Kate rolled her eyes. ‘’Of course.’’ 

William stretched his arms over his head and then pulled his wife close to him. Kate snuggled into his side. ‘’Are we all set for tomorrow?’’ 

‘’I think we are,’’ she answered. ‘’Have to do some washing and go grocery shopping, but other than that, we can just make googly eyes at our baby boy all day.’’

‘’Sounds perfect to me.’’ William was quiet for a moment and then chuckled. ‘’Look at us.’’ 

‘’What do you mean?’’ 

‘’A young couple, having the whole night to themselves and we are only talking about our child.’’ 

Kate smiled at him. ‘’I guess you can say we have truly become parents.’’ 

‘’That we have,’’ William nodded. ‘’That we have.’’ He kissed the top of Kate’s head, pulled a bit closer still and together they watched the flames, both lost in their thoughts of their new baby boy and the life that was awaiting him.


End file.
